CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many nightclubs in England and Wales have had alcohol licences revoked in circumstances where the persistent sale of alcohol to persons under 18 years of age has been demonstrated in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment Licensing Statistical Bulletin collects the number of licences revoked, but does not indicate why or the type of premises involved. Licences may be revoked following a review by the licensing authority for a number of reasons, including persistent selling of alcohol to children. However, the persistent sale of alcohol to children is a specific criminal offence under section 147A of the Licensing Act 2003.
	Where a premises licence holder admits the offence and accepts a closure notice issued under section 169A of the 2003 Act, the licence may be suspended for up to 48 hours. The number of such suspensions under section 169A between April 2008 and March 2009 was 54, based on replies from 97 per cent. of licensing authorities. However, where the holder of a premises licence is convicted by a court of an offence under section 147A (in respect of the sale or supply of alcohol, following an offence of persistently selling to underage children) to which the licence relates, the court may order that the licence, so far as it authorises the sale by retail of alcohol, be suspended for a period not exceeding three months.
	The number of suspensions ordered by the courts between April 2008 and March 2009 was 12, based on responses from 98 per cent. of licensing authorities.

Arts Council of England

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking in respect of the public perception of Arts Council England.

Margaret Hodge: Arts Council England is responsible for maintaining the reputation and knowledge of the organisation.
	The Department is confident that Arts Council England's public perception is good and is continuing to improve. Recent research found that while 47 per cent. of members of the public who have heard of the Arts Council held no strong view of ACE, of the remaining 53 per cent.; 36 per cent. held a favourable opinion and 8 per cent. held an unfavourable opinion(1).
	Among the arts sector, 74 per cent. responded favourably and 10 per cent. unfavourably.
	A further breakdown of this information is detailed in the tables:
	(1 )Arts Council's Stakeholder Focus research programme 2009-10.
	
		
			  Attitudes towards the Arts Council among the general public 
			  Question  Response  Percentage 
			 How favourably or unfavourably do you regard the Arts Council, bearing in mind we are interested in your overall impressions? Very favourably 4 
			  Mainly favourably 32 
			  Neither favourably nor unfavourably 47 
			  Mainly unfavourably 7 
			  Very unfavourably 1 
			  Don't know/No opinion 9 
			  Base: 695 (all those who have heard of the Arts Council)  Source: Arts Council's Stakeholder Focus research programme 2009-10 
		
	
	
		
			  Attitudes towards the Arts Council among the arts sector and other partners 
			  Question  Response  Percentage 
			 How favourably or unfavourably do you regard the Arts Council, bearing in mind we are interested in your overall impressions? Very favourably 14 
			  Mainly favourably 60 
			  Neither favourably nor unfavourably 15 
			  Mainly unfavourably 9 
			  Very unfavourably 1 
			  Don't know/No opinion (1)- 
			 (1 )Arts Council's Stakeholder Focus research programme 2009-10.  Base: 896  Source: Arts Council's Stakeholder Focus research programme 2009-10

Casinos: Gambling Machines

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of any link between the number of machines allowed in casinos and the extent of problem gambling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has not made a specific assessment of the link between the number of machines allowed in casinos and the extent of problem gambling. However, the Gambling Commission has undertaken research into what can be done to understand the impact of high stake, high prize gaming machines on problem gambling in general, the results of which were reported to me in July 2009. Among other things, this work commented on the availability and accessibility of gaming machines in gambling venues across Britain.
	Subsequently, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board's initial recommendations and priorities for research, education and treatment into problem gambling published on 14 October 2009, has highlighted that early priority should be given to developing a programme of work around high stake, high prize gaming machines building on the initial work undertaken by the Gambling Commission.

Casinos: Gambling Machines

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has plans to increase the number of machines allowed in casinos.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has no specific plans at present in relation to numbers of gaming machines allowed in casinos.
	A number of representations have been made by the casino industry with regards to the ongoing review of category B gaming machines, which are being given due consideration.

Casinos: Licensing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance the Gambling Commission has produced on the practice of adult gaming centres without a casino licence branding themselves as casinos.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Commission has advised that it has not published guidance on the practice of adult gaming centres without a casino licence branding themselves as casinos.

Cricket: Facilities

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage the development of indoor cricket.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England has advised that over the period 2009-13 Sport England will invest a total £38,003,357 in the English Cricket Board (ECB) for their Whole Sport Plan. A key part of this funding agreement is for the ECB to increase participation in the sport.
	One aspect of this will be to increase participation in indoor cricket, with indoor cricket playing a key role in the ECB's wider club network intervention. In addition to this the ECB is currently working with the organisation Indoor Cricket England to look at the ways they might be able to work together to increase access and participation in the indoor version of the game.

Gambling Commission: Public Appointments

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will undertake an investigation into  (a) the appropriateness of the appointment of the Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission to the Commission's Board of Commissioners and  (b) the effect on levels of transparency and accountability of the separation of both roles.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have no current plans to review this appointment.
	The current chief executive of the Gambling Commission was appointed as an ex-officio Commissioner of the Gambling Commission by the then Secretary of State in October 2005. We continue to believe that this is a positive arrangement which is consistent with arrangements in place for similar regulatory bodies, and we believe that there is no detrimental impact on levels of transparency and accountability as a result.

Gambling: Advertising

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions the Gambling Commission has had with regulators outside the European Economic Area and the white list of countries permitted to advertise gambling services in the UK on the effectiveness of the regulation of operators providing gambling services to customers in the UK.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not held by my Department and relates to matters that are the responsibility of the Gambling Commission.
	Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of the Gambling Commission to write direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

JUSTICE

Crimes of Violence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many violent incidents were recorded at properties operated by ClearSprings Ltd. under the Bail and Accommodation Support Service in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The number of violent incidents recorded at properties managed by ClearSprings for the bail accommodation and support service in the last three years is;
	
		
			   Number of violent incidents reported 
			 2007 1 
			 2008 6 
			 2009 10 
		
	
	These data include one incident of aggravated burglary by a member of the public against a ClearSprings property in 2009.

Land Registry

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the Land Registry has spent on the refurbishment of its head office in Lincoln's Inn Fields in each of the last three financial years.

Michael Wills: Land Registry has refurbished its head office in Lincoln's Inn Fields to address health and safety risks, including legionella, to address the risk of electrical and heating systems failure, and to bring the building, which was built in 1913, up to date. The project included not only internal redecoration and remodelling, but full replacement of the heating system, replacement of the hot and cold water services and installation of a dedicated electrical sub-station (in the light of advice from consultants following a number of blackouts in the building). The cost of refurbishment in the last three financial years was:
	
		
			   Cost of refurbishment (£) 
			 2006-07 1,478,276 
			 2007-08 3,164,533 
			 2008-09 2,846,398 
		
	
	The total for the last three financial years is £7,489,207. These costs are off-set by a consequential increase in value of the building of £5.25 million based on a Valuation Office report on 15 December 2008 (compared with the previous valuation on 8 January 2008).

Powers of Entry

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many warrants magistrates have issued for the courts to enter premises by force under section 78 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.

Bridget Prentice: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost by manually interrogating court records.

Prison Accommodation

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 546-7W, on prison accommodation, how many cells are not included in the certified normal accommodation of the prison estate for  (a) operational reasons relating to cell (i) heating, (ii) lighting, (iii) ventilation and (iv) size and  (b) other reasons relating to cell maintenance.

Maria Eagle: As at the end of November 2009 and based on information from central records, about 500 places in the prison estate's baseline were not included in in-use certified normal accommodation because of centrally programmed maintenance projects. Cell certification records do not systematically identify the nature of each maintenance project.
	These figures have been drawn from central administrative/recording systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Mothers

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many mother and baby units for female prisoners there are in England and Wales; and what the capacity of each such unit is for  (a) female children and  (b) babies.

Maria Eagle: There are seven mother and baby units (MBUs) in England providing an overall capacity of 75 places. Each unit can normally accommodate one set of twins. However, the number of places available at any one time can fluctuate for operational reasons, and currently stands at 69.
	
		
			  Establishment  MBU Capacity 
			 Askham Grange 10 
			 Bronzefield 12 
			 Eastwood Park 12 
			 Holloway 13 
			 New Hall 3 
			 Peterborough 12 
			 Styal 7 
			 Total 69 
		
	
	For young women under 18 years of age there is a MBU at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre that has a capacity of three places. One set of twins can be accommodated on the unit.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Bars

Michael Fabricant: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 825-6W, on bars, when staff assigned to duties in Bellamy's Bar, Bellamy's Club Room and the Astor Suite were informed of the proposed closure of these facilities; and whether the House of Commons has consulted associations representing those staff on the matter.

Nick Harvey: The director of catering and retail services met staff employed in the Bellamy's catering facilities on Wednesday 16 December 2009 to announce the Commission's decision on Monday 14 December to convert Bellamy's Bar, the Club Room and the Astor Suite into a children's nursery.
	Staff trade union representatives were present at the staff meeting at the invitation of the director. Formal consultation between management and trade union representatives will be commenced as soon as an outline timetable for the closure of the affected facilities has been drafted.

House of Commons: Taxation

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost to the public purse was of the residence on the parliamentary estate occupied by  (a) the Serjeant at Arms and  (b) Clerk of the House in the last financial year; and what arrangements are in place for the payment of tax on those residences.

Nick Harvey: The identifiable direct costs in 2008-09 of the official residences for the Clerk of the House and Serjeant at Arms were £11,989 and £8,464 respectively. This includes maintenance costs and utilities. Both individuals pay towards utility costs. The House pays an income tax and national insurance charge on these residences.

Members: Allowances

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 959W, on Members: allowances, how many days work Sir Thomas Legg undertook on his review; whether he was required to declare other remunerated positions which he may have held during the course of the review; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The information requested on number of days worked is commercially confidential. The standard contractual terms on which Sir Thomas was engaged required him to notify the House Administration of any directorships, conflicting interests or any interests in contracts or other transactions which may be relevant.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to ensure the west midlands obtains a legacy from the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy of London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to maximise the sporting, commercial, cultural and other benefits of the 2012 Games.
	So far 193 tenders for services relating to the 2012 Games have been won by companies based in the west midlands via CompeteFor, the electronic brokerage service which enables businesses to compete for contract opportunities linked to London 2012, and facilitates access to focused business support.
	Over £6 million has been secured to support an extensive programme of events and cultural activity across the west midlands in the run up to 2012. There are over 845 schools registered on 'Get Set', LOCOG's domestic education programme for London 2012.
	The west midlands has also identified opportunities to host a range of pre-Games training camps and has confirmed that both the American and Jamaican athletics teams will be based in Birmingham in the run-up to the Games.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Batteries: Waste Disposal

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the recycling of waste industrial and automotive batteries.

Ian Lucas: I have been asked to reply
	The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 (SI 2009 No.890) transpose certain provisions of the Batteries and Accumulators and Waste Batteries and Accumulators Directive (2066/66/EC), including measures that relate to the recycling of waste industrial and automotive batteries. The Regulations place responsibility on producers of such batteries, from 1 January 2010, to ensure that they are recycled when becoming waste, but also allow other licensed operators to continue to carry out this function if they so choose.
	Waste industrial and automotive batteries may only be recycled by approved battery treatment operators, or exported for recycling by approved battery exporters. The Regulations also prohibit the disposal of waste industrial and automotive batteries by landfilling or incineration.

Departmental Food

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the quantity of food waste generated by his Department in each year for which figures are available.

Dan Norris: DEFRA endeavours to send as much of its biodegradable waste as possible for environmentally-friendly treatment (generally, composting) rather than to landfill, although we do not keep a separate record of the component of this that is made up of food. The total amount of biodegradable waste (food and garden waste) sent for treatment in this way, reported as part of the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate reporting process is presented in the following table.
	
		
			   Waste composted (tonnes) 
			 2006-07 19.02 
			 2007-08 23.27 
			 2008-09 38.61 
		
	
	The increase year on year is largely due to the introduction of the food waste recycling scheme across the London Estate. This has diverted food waste from landfill and increased the volume of waste sent for composting.
	Additional food waste, which has not been quantified, may have entered the residual waste stream and been sent to landfill.
	A case study highlighting DEFRA's food waste composting programme was published by the OGC in July 2009 and can be found on the OGC website:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/case_studies_sustainable_ procurement_and_operations_case_studies.asp

Waste Management

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is his policy to identify waste streams that should not be disposed of  (a) in landfill and  (b) by incineration.

Dan Norris: The Government consider that landfill should be the last resort for most wastes where more sustainable options are available but recognise that landfill may continue to have a role in the disposal of certain hazardous wastes and as a means of restoring exhausted mineral workings.
	Some types of waste are already banned from landfill under EU legislation. The EU Landfill Directive bans the landfilling of liquids, wastes which are explosive, corrosive, oxidising, highly flammable or flammable, hospital and clinical wastes and whole or shredded used tyres.
	The Landfill Directive further limits the waste that may be disposed of at individual landfill sites by classifying them into one of three types, inert, non-hazardous or hazardous.
	The Government are assessing the case for introducing further restrictions on the landfilling of biodegradable and recyclable wastes. DEFRA and the devolved Administrations have commissioned further research on the environmental, economic and practical impacts of introducing further restrictions. We aim to consult on the options for introducing further restrictions early this year.
	In addition, the EU Batteries Directive introduced a ban on disposing of automotive and industrial batteries both via landfill and incineration.
	In line with the waste hierarchy set out in the Government's Waste Strategy 2007 and the Revised Waste Framework Directive, it is preferable to prevent, reuse and recycle waste. However, recovering energy from residual waste via a combination of complimentary processes, including incineration, is preferable in both environmental and economic terms to landfill. The waste must be treated in a facility compliant with the Waste Incineration Directive. This applies stringent regulations to emissions from incineration to protect health and the environment. Landfill sites and incinerators are subject to the requirement for an environmental permit, the terms and conditions of which may further restrict the types and quantities of waste that may be handled.

Waste Management

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Environment Agency on amendments to Section 1.1 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007, with particular reference to recognition of the end-of-waste concept.

Dan Norris: In recent months DEFRA officials have discussed the possible amendment of Section 1.1 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 with Environment Agency officials. This was in the context of the development by the Environment Agency of draft end-of-waste protocols which, if finalised, might justify further consideration of amendment.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Offensive Weapons and Drugs: Schools

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils in Northern Ireland were found to be in illegal possession of  (a) a weapon and  (b) drugs on school premises in 2008-09.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the chief constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Terrorism

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his estimate is of the number of terrorist sleeper cells in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment upon matters of national security.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Billing

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in December 2009.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office paid 98.8 per cent. of invoices from suppliers within 10 days of receipt in December 2009.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on  (a) strategy and planning,  (b) design and build,  (c) hosting and infrastructure,  (d) content provision and  (e) testing and evaluation for his Department's websites in each of the last three years; and what budget has been allocated for such activities in 2009-10.

Ann McKechin: We do not hold the information in the format requested.
	Figures are only available for each year as a total amount spent on web maintenance.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost (£) 
			 2006-07 840 
			 2007-08 2,990 
			 2008-09 (1)19,292 
			 2009-10 (2)3,500 
			 (1) The increase in 2008-09 can be split down into the following areas:  Part 1-website rebuild by CIVIC-£12,880 a complete redesign, redevelopment a new hosting package for the website a full content management system which allows staff in-house to manage the site content.  Part 2-whitespace-£3,431 Addition of a blog  Hosting Website update  Part 3-Arbuthnott website-£1,198.50 Website, CMS development and hosting  Part 4-OAG contact forms-£1,782.50 (2) The anticipated spend for 2009-10 is £3,500 for hosting arrangements.  Note: The costs represents the hosting, updating and development of the site.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 182W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what the purpose of the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan project is; for what reason his Department decided to fund the project; how much it received from his Department in its first year of operation; for what reason its funding was reduced in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and how much it received from his Department in each such year.

Ivan Lewis: The Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) project is intended to support the CNPA's development as an effective counter narcotics law enforcement institution through the provision of training, mentoring and equipment.
	The project received UK funding of £601,732 in 2006-07, £1,333,000 in 2007-08, £593,629 in 2008-09 and we expect to contribute £300,000 in 2009-10. We assess that the project has had a positive impact in increasing the CNPA's operational capacity and effectiveness. In Project evaluations in 2007-08 and 2008-09 showed that, given the CNPA improvements achieved, continued expenditure at the respective level each year would not have had the same impact as earlier on in the project.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 182W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what the purpose of the Criminal Justice Task Force project is; for what reason his Department decided to fund the project; how much it received from his Department in its first year of operation; for what reason its funding was reduced in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and how much it received from his Department in each such year.

Ivan Lewis: The aim of the Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF) project is to support the development of an Afghan-owned system for dealing with serious narcotics cases in Afghanistan that deters involvement in the industry through the handling and prosecution of a sustained number of influential individuals. The CJTF received £1.63 million of funding in 2006-07, £2,142,180 in 2007-08, £1,375,532 in 2008-09, and we expect to contribute £1,275,600 in 2009-10.
	The CJTF project required significant investment in one-off start-up costs in financial year 2007-08. Costs were lower in subsequent years as Afghan capacity increased, allowing Afghans to take on more of the roles and better value for money. This ongoing project is meeting its programme goals and is contributing to UK strategic objectives. It has seen a year on year increase in quality convictions, and last year successfully prosecuted its first high-level trafficker, who was sentenced to 20 years, imprisonment.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 182W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what the purpose of the Support to Afghan National Police project is; for what reason his Department decided to fund the project; how much it received from his Department in its first year of operation; for what reason its funding was reduced in 2009-10; and how much it has received from his Department in that year to date.

Ivan Lewis: The Afghan National Police project is intended to support the development of a disciplined body of people with professional policing skills in order to win the confidence of the people of Afghanistan. The funding pays for the recruitment and deployment of credible experienced officers to strategically important mentoring posts in Afghanistan. Securing these key posts will enhance our ability to influence and drive police reform.
	This project is part of the UK's strategy of supporting the development of the Afghan National Police, and to increase its capacity and effectiveness in law enforcement. This is consistent with our broader strategy of ultimately enabling the International Community to transfer responsibility for security to the Government of Afghanistan. In the project's first year (2007-08) we provided £687,061. We provided £699,723 in 2008-09, and we currently estimate that we will spend approximately £1,160,000 in 2009-10.
	We assess that this ongoing project is meeting its programme goals of developing a better trained and more accountable ANP, that is able to carry out basic policing functions, and is contributing to UK strategic objectives in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 183W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what the purpose of the Ministry of Counter Narcotics Communication project was; for what reason his Department decided to fund the project; how much it received from his Department in its first year of operation; for what reason his Department ceased to fund the programme in 2006-07; and what assessment has been made of its effectiveness.

Ivan Lewis: The Ministry of Counter Narcotics Communication Project (MCNCP) supported capacity building in the Afghan Ministry for Counter Narcotics to engage with the media. Specifically, the project enabled the Ministry for Counter Narcotics to oversee a national public awareness campaign, broadcasting on Kabul and provincial radio stations.
	MCNCP supported the delivery of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Departmental Strategic Objective 6, to Prevent and Resolve Conflict.
	MCNCP received £820,000 in Financial Year 2006-07. Capacity building support for the Afghan Ministry for Counter Narcotics is now conducted under another project with a wider scope. The MCNCP was regularly reviewed and met its programme goals.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 183W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what the purpose of the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan Mobile Detection Teams project was; for what reason his Department decided to fund the project; how much it received from his Department in its first year of operation; for what reason his Department ceased to fund the programme in 2008-09; and what assessment has been made of its effectiveness.

Ivan Lewis: The Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan Mobile Detection Teams project was intended to provide training, mentoring and equipment for the creation of Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) mobile drugs detection teams. The aim of the project was to increase the Afghan Government's drug interdiction capacity. The project received £7.8 million in its first year (2005-06).
	The project delivered by enabling the CNPA to achieve some substantial narcotics seizures. In 2007 and 2008 the teams seized drugs with a UK street value of more than £100 million, including half a ton of heroin. In 2008-09 the UK's priorities shifted to focussing on interdicting trafficking networks further up the supply chain and at targets with stronger links to the insurgency. Funding for the project was discontinued in 2008-09 after it was assessed that it would not have delivered sufficiently against the new priority.

Africa: Travel Information

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department provided travel advice to the organisers of the  (a) Plymouth-Dakar Challenge and  (b) Adventurists Africa Rally prior to those events.

Ivan Lewis: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials from the Counter Terrorism Department met organisers of the Plymouth-Dakar Challenge and the Adventurists Africa Rally on 9 December 2009. Both teams agreed to end their rallies in Morocco after discussing the travel advice, which is available on the FCO website, and their planned routes which passed through areas to which we advise against all travel.

China: Falun Gong

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Chinese government on its policy towards practitioners of Falun Gong.

Ivan Lewis: We have serious concerns about the mistreatment of Falun Gong adherents and regularly raise this issue with the Chinese Government. We last raised our concerns about Falun Gong practitioners at the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue on 12-13 January 2009. We asked how many re-education through labour detainees there were and what proportion were Falun Gong. The Chinese responded saying that reforms of the system of re-education through labour were taking place. We will raise this issue again at the next round of our human rights dialogue. We are yet to confirm a date for this but we are pressing for it to be in early 2010.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent representations has he made to the government of Iran regarding the number of Baha'is in prison or awaiting trial; whether he has discussed with that government his policy on the death penalty; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent reports he has received on the number of Baha'is imprisoned in Iran.

Ivan Lewis: As of 13 January 2010, according to the Baha'i International Community some 50 Baha'is were believed to be in detention in Iran. At least 236 cases were still ongoing with the Iranian authorities-including individuals in prison, released awaiting trial or free pending appeal.
	We have made clear to the Iranian authorities on several occasions our concerns at the large number of Baha'is in detention, and the conditions in which they are detained. We have expressed explicit concern at the charges of 'espionage' and "corruption on earth" levelled against the seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned for over a year without trial. Alongside EU partners we expressed our serious concern about the start of their trial on 12 January 2010, as the charges against them appear to be motivated by their belonging to a minority faith.
	We also make regular representations concerning the application of the death penalty in Iran, including its use against juvenile offenders. Our position on the death penalty is clear: we oppose it in all its forms. Many of the most basic minimum standards surrounding the use of capital punishment are absent. Executions are often carried out in public and sentences we are concerned that many handed down as the result of an unfair trial. Alongside EU partners we have reiterated our firm and continued opposition to capital punishment, and urged the Iranian authorities to abolish the death penalty completely and, in the meantime, to establish a moratorium on executions as urged by United Nations General Assembly resolutions 62/149 and 63/168.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role he expects the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to play in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear policy.

Ivan Lewis: The EU High Representative has played a key role on the Iran nuclear dossier since 2003, both as the lead interlocutor with the Iranians and in leading EU discussions. I expect Baroness Ashton and her office to continue playing this role in negotiations, and hope that Iran decides to take the opportunity to seek productive and sensible dialogue on their nuclear policy.

Mongolia: Capital Punishment

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Mongolian counterpart on the recent announcement of a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in that country; and what assistance he can provide to encourage the government of Mongolia to abolish the death penalty.

Ivan Lewis: As I said in my statement of 14 January 2010, I welcome President Elbegdorj's announcement to establish a moratorium and the decision to move to full abolition in 2011.
	We will maintain in close contact with the Mongolian Government over the abolition of the death penalty and are ready to assist if requested.

North Korea: Financial Services

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the alleged use of European banks to launder money by  (a) the President of North Korea and  (b) other senior members of the North Korean regime; what recent discussions he has had with his (i) European and (ii) US counterparts on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do not comment on matters of intelligence. However, the Government play a leading role in international efforts against money laundering, notably through its membership of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The risk of money laundering posed by certain jurisdictions, and the global response to this, is the subject of ongoing work in the FATF.
	In 2009 the UK implemented further sanctions against North Korea under UN Security Council Resolution 1874, placing restrictions on financial institutions providing services to North Korea and requiring enhanced vigilance by member states. While aimed at reducing the threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, such measures also serve to strengthen international anti-money laundering controls.

Pakistan: Foreign Relations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aims and objectives he has set for UK foreign policy in respect of Pakistan.

Ivan Lewis: The UK is committed to help Pakistan achieve its vision of becoming a stable, economically and socially developed democracy and meet its poverty reduction targets. The Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy announced by the Prime Minister on 29 April 2009 in the House of Commons set out objectives for UK policy towards Pakistan. They focus on counter-terrorism, regional stability, governance, counter-proliferation and economic development.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the proportion of essential supplies which have been able to enter Gaza through Israeli-controlled checkpoints; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The UK continues to be concerned by the current humanitarian situation in Gaza. According to a recent UN report, the weekly total of truckloads of goods entering Gaza through Israeli checkpoints for the week of 10-16 January 2010 was 534. This constitutes less than 23 per cent. of the average number of truckloads entering Gaza per week pre-2007. We are unable to establish the total number of truckloads actually attempting to enter Gaza, but it is clear that imported truckloads remain below needs. We continue to press the Israeli authorities to lessen restrictions on access into Gaza and allow the legitimate passage of humanitarian aid, reconstruction materials, trade goods, and people.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the policy of the Government that linking access for aid and reconstruction materials to Hamas's refusal to renounce violence constitutes collective punishment of the people of Gaza within the meaning of the Fourth Geneva Convention; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have serious concerns about the Israeli restrictions on Gaza and the impact they have on the lives of Gazans. Although there is no permanent physical Israeli presence in Gaza, given the significant control that Israel has over Gaza's borders, airspace and territorial waters, Israel retains obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention as an occupying power. The Fourth Geneva Convention is clear that an occupying power must co-operate in allowing the passage and distribution of relief consignments. The restrictions currently imposed on the passage of relief supplies are, as we see it, a disproportionate response to the security threat.
	The extent of Israeli restrictions, and the threat to Israel from militants in Gaza, varies constantly. Rather than focus on whether the restrictions at any given time amount to collective punishment, we have consistently pressed the Israeli Government to comply with their obligations under international law and allow passage of relief supplies.

Palestinians: Journalism

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of restrictions on access into Gaza via Israel for representatives of the international media; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's travel advice clearly states that we advise against all travel to Gaza. We are aware that a number of British journalists and aid workers visit Gaza, but we have not facilitated their entry via Israel.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Government Equalities Office

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by primary legislation sponsored by the Government Equalities Office since 1 May 2008.

Michael Jabez Foster: No primary legislation sponsored by the Government Equalities Office has been enacted since 1 May 2008.

Ministers of Religion: Females

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether an assessment has been made of the effects of the employment provisions of the Equality Bill on the Roman Catholic Church's prohibition of women priests.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Equality Bill will not alter the scope of the current law which allows an exception in the case of employment for the purposes of an organised religion which includes Ministers of Religion. Therefore the Roman Catholic Church will still be able to require priests to be male.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Solicitor-General who chose the subject of the lecture by the Attorney-General at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, on 5 January 2010.

Vera Baird: The subject for the lecture was chosen by the Attorney-General.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments: Birds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the 9,120 other birds used in scientific procedures in 2008 were  (a) passerines (songbirds) and  (b) taken from the wild; and whether his Department plans to provide details of species used in future such statistical releases.

Meg Hillier: Passerines of a wide range of species are thought to account for a significant proportion of the 9,120 'other birds' based on the information received as part of the data collection, however exact numbers are not available.
	Information is not collected as part of the data collection on the source of such animals which are not Schedule 2 listed, however it is believed that few if any were taken from the wild.
	The large majority of these 9,120 animals were used in studies where the primary field of research was indicated as 'Zoology' (4,837 animals) or as 'Ecology and environmental studies other than toxicology/safety evaluation' (3,043 animals).
	There are no plans at present to provide details of the species used within the 'Other birds' category. However the data collection and publication is kept under review to meet user needs and legislative requirements, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, and is subject to assessment by the UK Statistics Authority under the Statistics and Registration Act 2007.

Crime: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported incidents of  (a) burglary,  (b) thefts from cars,  (c) assault and  (d) offences involving the carrying of an offensive weapon there were in Gloucestershire police force area in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: There have been some changes to recording crime practices over this period which mean that the data for these offences codes cannot be compared for every year between 1997 and 2008-09.
	Since 1997, there have been two major changes to the way crime is recorded. The effect of extending the coverage and changing the counting rules in 1998 was to artificially increase total recorded crime nationally by 14 per cent.
	It is estimated that the effect of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002 caused a further artificial increase of 10 per cent. in total recorded crime in its first year.
	For these reasons data between 1997 and 2008-09 are not directly comparable.
	Additionally, the Home Office does not hold data for the offence categories of assault and offences involving the carrying of an offensive weapon for 1997.
	The data for 1997 are shown in table A. Those for 1998-99 to 2001-02 are shown in table B and those for 2002-03 to 2008-09 are shown in table C.
	
		
			  Table A: Selected offences recorded by Gloucestershire police, 1997 
			  Offence  Number of offences 
			 Burglary 11,559 
			 Theft from cars 10,493 
			 Assault - 
			 Offences involving the carrying of an offensive weapon - 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Selected offences recorded by Gloucestershire police, 1998-99 to 2001-02 
			   Number of offences 
			  Offences  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Burglary 10,111 9,308 7,809 8,468 
			 Theft from cars 8,563 7,713 6,571 6,312 
			 Assault 754 1,171 1,721 1,515 
			 Offences involving the carrying of an offensive weapon 173 186 150 183 
			  Notes: 1. The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997. 2. The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Selected offences recorded by Gloucestershire police, 2002-03 to 2008-09 
			   Number of offences 
			  Offence  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Burglary 8,694 9,072 7,142 6,260 6,413 5,604 5,823 
			 Theft from cars 5,763 6,143 4,810 3,992 3,812 3,515 3,696 
			 Assault 3,058 2,321 1,950 1,940 2,682 2,593 2,697 
			 Offences involving the carrying of an offensive weapon 222 268 297 293 306 232 277 
			  Note: The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Drugs: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on programmes to tackle the misuse of drugs in Preston in  (a) 1997-98 and  (b) 2008-09.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office made a grant of £35,000 to Preston in 2008-09 towards a Positive Futures project. The Positive Futures programme was launched in 2001. It aims to prevent young people from becoming involved in substance misuse, crime and antisocial behaviour by engaging them into sport and arts based activities, and to support them access education, training, employment and volunteering opportunities.
	Other sources of central funding are available to Preston through Lancashire county council for allocation across the partnership's areas as they see fit in order to deliver local, regional and national strategies. For example, the Home Office made a contribution of £1,136,278 to Lancashire county council towards the delivery of the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) in 2008-09. DIP was introduced in 2003 to direct offenders into an assessment for their drug use, and as a route into effective treatment. This funding was allocated by the Lancashire Drug Action Team to commission services required across Lancashire areas, including Preston.
	Funding data for 1997-98 are not readily available.

Incitement: Publications

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many publications have been held to breach laws against incitement since 1997.

David Hanson: Information relating to the number of individual publications which have been held to breach terrorism legislation is not held by the Home Office.
	The terrorism statistics that are published by the Home Office focus on persons only. The current edition of the terrorism statistics bulletin "Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: arrest, outcome, and stops & searches, Great Britain, 2008-09" is available online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1809.pdf

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010 to Question 307245, which stakeholders were involved in the meeting in  (a) October 2008 and  (b) January 2009; and if he will publish the minutes of those meetings.

Meg Hillier: Since the ISA was responsible for producing the guidance notes and for the consultation meetings in respect of that guidance, I have asked the chief executive of the ISA to respond to your question.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been provided for applicants for vetting by the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

Meg Hillier: Guidance has not yet been issued to applicants to the new Vetting and Barring Scheme as applications to the scheme will not commence prior to July 2010. Relevant guidance will be provided in due course.

Police: Pay

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much funding his Department provided to the Police Negotiating Board in each of the last five years; how much such funding it expects to provide in 2010-11; for what purposes such funding was allocated in each such year; under what statutory powers such funding was provided; what the membership is of the Police Negotiating Board; by whom that board is appointed; when each member of that board was appointed; what discussions he has had with the Police Negotiating Board since January 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the salary is of the Chairman of the Police Negotiating Board; whether the Chairman of that board may receive a staff bonus; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Funding for the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) for the last five years is given in table 1; a decision has not been made on funding for 2010-11. As set out under section 61 (4)(a) and (b) of the Police Act 1996 the funding is provided to pay the fees of the Board's Chair and Deputy Chair and to defray any expenses incurred by Board members.
	The Chair and Deputy Chair of the PNB are appointed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister after consultation with Scottish Ministers and the current Chair and Deputy Chair were appointed on 11 February 2009 and 12 February 2009 respectively. The Chair is currently paid a daily fee of £429. The position does not attract a bonus. The PNB membership is given in table 2.
	I have had no discussions with the PNB since January 2009. However, Home Office officials meet with the PNB on a regular basis.
	
		
			  Table 1: Home Office annual allocation to the PNB 
			   £ 
			 2005-06 425,493.59 
			 2006-07 479,870.58 
			 2007-08 452,361.29 
			 2008-09 452,359.78 
			 2009-10 385,827.75 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: PNB membership 
			  Constituent body  Total 
			  Official side (Full PNB)  
			 The Secretaries of State (Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Scottish Ministers) (1)3 
			 The Association of Police Authorities of England and Wales (including one member representing the Metropolitan Police Authority) 11 
			 The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities 3 
			 The Northern Ireland Policing Board 1 
			 Association of Chief Police Officers (to include the Metropolitan Police Commissioner) and Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland 4 
			 Total 22 
			   
			  Staff side (Full PNB)  
			 The Chief Police Officers' Staff Association 2 
			 The Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales 2 
			 The Police Federation of England and Wales 7 
			 The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland 1 
			 The Association of Scottish Police Superintendents 1 
			 The Scottish Police Federation 4 
			 The Superintendents' Association of Northern Ireland 1 
			 The Police Federation for Northern Ireland 2 
			 All Police Staff Associations acting jointly for the appointment of Staff Side Chairman and Secretary 2 
			 Total 22 
			 (1) If either the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's representative or the Scottish Ministers' representative is unable to attend a meeting the Home Secretary may send an additional representative.

Thames Valley Police: Finance

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what capital funding has been allocated to Thames Valley Police in each year since 2005.

David Hanson: The information requested can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Capital Funding allocated to Thames Valley 
			  £ million 
			   Grant  SCE(R)  Air Support  Total 
			 2005-06 4.31 2.43 0.02 6.76 
			 2006-07 3.83 2.43 0.43 7.49 
			 2007-08 3.04 2.43 0.13 7.19 
			 2008-09 4.62 2.43 0.58 7.64 
			 2009-10 4.62 2.43 0.58 7.64 
			 2010-11(1) 4.62 2.43 (2)- 7.05 
			 (1) Indicative (2) To be announced

Unpaid Fines: Local Government

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the contribution of Lord Brett, 7 December 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, column 907, on the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 Order 2009, what guidance is being given to local authorities on the use of new powers to collect unpaid  (a) parking and  (b) congestion charge fines.

Alan Campbell: As Lord Brett said in a written ministerial statement on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WS211, the Government will be drafting a circular to be issued to all accredited financial investigators to clarify how the statutory powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 should be used.

Vetting: Councillors

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department's planned  (a) comprehensive generic and  (b) sector specific guidance on the Vetting and Barring scheme will make reference to (i) parish and (ii) town councillors.

Meg Hillier: It is intended that sector guidance on the vetting and barring scheme will include information relating to parish and town councillors.

TRANSPORT

Air Traffic Control

Graham Stringer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to reduce the Government stake in UK Air Traffic Control; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: holding answer 19 January 2010
	On 8 December the Government published the Operational Efficiency Programme: Asset Portfolio.
	The portfolio includes a section on NATS which notes that in light of the impending expiry of the restrictions on the transfer of shares for NATS, it is appropriate for Government to engage with other shareholders who are likely to consider the shareholding options available to them.
	No decision has been made by Government with regard to reducing its shareholding. Any options considered would be required to best meet the needs of the Company and its workforce, as well as shareholders.

Bus Services: Concessions

Hazel Blears: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the cost to his Department was of the provision of free off-peak bus travel to pensioners in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: Following the extension of the statutory bus concession in April 2008, to provide free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England to older and eligible disabled people, the Department for Transport has provided additional special grant funding to local authorities of £212 million in 2008-09, and £217 million in 2009-10.
	This is in addition to the funding that the Department for Communities and Local Government provides each year for concessionary travel through the formula grant process. Local authorities spent £990 million on concessionary travel (including their own discretionary enhancements) in 2008-09.

Departmental Correspondence

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his Department's policy is on the retention of  (a) electronic and  (b) paper correspondence sent and received by Ministers and officials in his Department; how long such electronic communication is retained on IT hardware; whether such files are (i) archived and (ii) backed up; and at what point such files are deleted.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport's policy on the retention of electronic and paper correspondence follows the records management standards set by The National Archives.
	Specifically, the Department's records management guidance states that all electronic documents that form part of the official record keeping system should be placed in Approved File Plans (AFPs). AFP files must have an agreed retention period, approved by the departmental records officer. Only business critical papers that cannot be saved electronically in AFPs or records marked with a security or privacy classification should be stored on registered paper files.
	The guidance also states that information that does not need to be kept as part of the Department's formal record keeping system should be disposed of as soon as possible in a manner appropriate to its contents.
	A back-up of the Department's electronic communications servers is produced each day. These back-ups are kept for three months.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much has been spent on  (a) strategy and planning,  (b) design and build,  (c) hosting and infrastructure,  (d) content provision and  (e) testing and evaluation for his Department's websites in each of the last three years; and how much has been allocated for each such category of expenditure in 2009-10.

Chris Mole: Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House showing websites operated over the last three years and their operating costs. Costs provided are total external costs and do not include internal staff costs. It is not possible to provide categorised costs as requested without incurring disproportionate costs. Costs provided for 2009-10 are anticipated operating costs.
	Where annual operating costs are not available this is due to a number of reasons; either the site has not existed for the past three years; the costs are part of a much larger contract and cannot be itemised; or the costs cannot be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The Department for Transport measures website costs in line with the guidance issued by the Central Office of Information, 'Measuring website costs (TG128)', starting in this financial year 2009-10, and will collate data at year end.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will list, and quantify, those items of expenditure which since April 2009 have been reallocated to be off balance sheet transactions, pursuant to advice received from HM Treasury.

Chris Mole: Since April 2009, there have been no balances or transactions that were recorded on-balance sheet in the consolidated accounts for the year ended 31 March 2009 that have been reallocated off-balance sheet for the purposes of the Department for Transport's consolidated resource accounts, pursuant to advice received from HM Treasury.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many sessions of media training were organised for Ministers in his Department in each of the last three years.

Chris Mole: Training is provided to Ministers on a range of issues including handling the media, as part of their induction and continuing development in order to carry out their duties effectively under the ministerial code.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on what date and by what means the decision was taken to hold the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation over a 14-week period; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) minutes of meetings and  (b) correspondence in which the duration of the consultation was discussed.

Paul Clark: The Government's Code of Practice on Written Consultation recommends 12 weeks as the standard minimum period for consultation, but notes this should take account of circumstances, including whether it spans a substantial holiday period. The 14 week period for the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation in November 2007 reflected that guidance and was confirmed by the then Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Bolton, West (Ruth Kelly) and proposed in her letter to Cabinet colleagues on 1 October 2007 seeking clearance to the consultation. Clearance was given on 12 November 2007.

London-Glasgow Railway Line

Katy Clark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what role the Scottish Executive and Transport Scotland have in deciding on the provision of direct London to Glasgow rail services.

Chris Mole: The level of direct train services between London and Glasgow is specified by the Secretary of State for Transport, taking into account non-binding advice provided by Scottish Ministers.

M1: East Midlands

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the road widening works north of junction 25 on the M1 motorway to be completed and the temporary speed restriction removed; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The M1 junctions 25 to 28 widening works are programmed to complete in October 2010.
	The temporary speed restriction will be removed on completion of the works.

M1: East Midlands

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many people were on site and working on the roadworks taking place on the M1 motorway between junctions 25 and 28 on  (a) 4,  (b) 5,  (c) 6 and  (d) 7 January 2010; and if he will take steps to expedite the completion of these works.

Chris Mole: The numbers of operatives working on the roadworks for the M1 junctions 25 to 28 project on the 4, 5, 6 and 7 January 2010 were as follows:
	 (a) 4 January-198 of which 65 were visible on work site;
	 (b) 5 January-149 of which 11 were visible on work site;
	 (c) 6 January-157 of which 11 were visible on work site;
	 (d) 7 January-158 of which 13 were visible on work site.
	On the days mentioned above, the freezing weather conditions restricted safe access and exit within the work area. Much of the work was weather dependent and could not be done during freezing temperatures.
	The project is making good progress and the Highways Agency expect to finish the work as planned in October 2010.

M1: East Midlands

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what cameras are scheduled to be installed on the M1 motorway in Nottinghamshire in the vicinity of junction 26; for what purpose such cameras will be used; on what date he expects such cameras to become operational; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: Consideration is currently being given to proposals for introducing variable mandatory speed limits on the M1 motorway between junctions 25 and 28.
	A consultation exercise would be undertaken before a decision would be made to introduce the variable mandatory speed limits.
	I expect to make an announcement on this in the near future.

Olympic Games: Canada

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from his Department are planning to attend the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in February 2010; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such attendance.

Sadiq Khan: Since 1999 the Government has published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. From 2007-08 the list was extended to include all Ministers. The list also provides information on the number of officials who accompany Ministers. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2009-10 will be published as soon as the information is available.
	All travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code' and 'Civil Service Management Code' respectively.

Railways: Capital Allowances

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer prior to his decision to reduce capital allowances for railway assets; and what assessment he has made of the effect of this decision on the railway industry.

Chris Mole: The exemption for the rail industry from the long life assets regime for capital allowances has been in place since 1997 and was always time-limited. Thus, expenditure incurred after 1 January 2011 on railway assets which have a life of greater than 25 years will be subject to the normal long life assets' rate. The expiry of the exemption is not expected to have a significant effect on the rail industry, where long-term operating costs are factored into the long-term investment decisions that are typical in this sector.

Railways: Timetables

Alun Michael: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will require train operating companies to take further steps to make readily available to the public accurate information on the definition of  (a) off-peak and  (b) variations to off-peak times, with particular reference to super off-peak times.

Chris Mole: Train operators publicise their ticket restrictions on their websites. Most also take information feeds relating to fares from National Rail Enquiries who I understand are exploring possible solutions to providing this information. The train operators' ticket office staff have access to systems that make these restrictions clear and sell the appropriate tickets to passengers for use on trains.

Railways: Timetables

Alun Michael: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will require National Rail Enquiries to take further steps to make readily available on its website information on the definition of  (a) off-peak and  (b) variations to off-peak times, with particular reference to super off-peak times.

Chris Mole: National Rail Enquiries (NRE) is working to improve information services and recently released a revamped website. Enhancing information on off peak and super off peak validity is an agreed goal. However, work will be required to ensure precise ticket time restrictions are accurately selected to meet every passenger inquiry, and then be displayed in an understandable form.

Roads: Accidents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what proportion of drivers involved in road traffic accidents did not have  (a) insurance,  (b) a valid MOT certificate and  (c) a driver's licence in each of the last three years.

Paul Clark: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	In 2003 the Department for Transport published a research report on unlicensed driving which included an estimate for the number of personal injury road accidents that involved a driver found guilty of driving without a licence. The report is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme2/researchintounlicensedreport.pdf

Roads: Snow and Ice

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the amount of salt held by local highway authorities in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Coventry.

Sadiq Khan: According to local authority salt audit returns at 10 am on 14 January, both Coventry and the West Midlands region estimate that they have between six and seven days of salt stocks without replenishment, assuming the economies requested by the Secretary of State in his statement of 12 January are implemented.

Roads: Snow and Ice

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure effective gritting of roads in the West Midlands.

Sadiq Khan: Following close monitoring of the situation, the Department for Transport convened on 6 January, a joint working body (the Salt Cell) with representatives from central Government, local government and the devolved administrations to provide an agreed approach to road salt prioritisation. Data is now being regularly gathered on UK local authority and Highways Agency salt stocks and predicted use based on weather forecasts. With this regular flow of information, the Salt Cell currently meets twice weekly to decide what advice should be given to salt suppliers regarding the prioritisation of salt deliveries to local highways authorities and the Highways Agency. It therefore ensures the salt suppliers have the best possible advice from the information available about where salt is needed most. The Department has also re-circulated County Surveyors Society advice which included consideration about where and when to use grit only rather that salt.

Roads: Snow and Ice

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent assessment is of the damage caused to roads and highways in the West Midlands as a result of cold weather; and what his estimate is of the cost of repairing such damage.

Sadiq Khan: It will be for each local highway authority to assess the damage to its network resulting from the severe weather, and to estimate the costs of repair.
	The Department for Transport will consider any requests for financial assistance that local authorities may make, in line with its established criteria; and it will provide engineering consultancy support to local authorities formulating bids. It will be for each bidding authority to demonstrate that the damage is exceptional.

Roads: Snow and Ice

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on responsibility for clearing pavements which are unsafe as a consequence of adverse weather conditions.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 18 January 2010
	Local highway authorities have a duty, under s41 of the Highways Act 1980, to maintain the roads in their charge, including footways. This duty specifically includes
	"a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice".
	The Department for Transport has not issued guidance on responsibility for clearing footways in adverse weather conditions, but it does endorse the UK Roads Liaison Group's code of practice, "Well-maintained Highways" (available from the House Libraries, or from the following website which contains guidance on winter service:
	www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) forces and  (b) equipment the UK has contributed to the security arrangements for the Kajiki dam in Afghanistan; what the expected duration of UK involvement in this operation is; and on what date the UK will hand over responsibility to other coalition forces.

Bob Ainsworth: A detachment from 3rd Battalion, the Rifles which is part of Battle Group (North) is currently based at Kajaki, along with elements of the Royal Engineers and other support groups. I am unable to give specific details of the number of forces and type of equipment contributed by the UK to this area as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	We anticipate that ISAF commanders will wish to review the disposition of forces across Helmand to make best use of the significant increase in ISAF and Afghan troops in the province. No decisions have yet been taken.

Armed Forces: Housing

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the 50 most expensive substitute  (a) service family and  (b) single living accommodation properties rented out in Scotland were in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: Substitute service family accommodation (SSFA) and substitute service single accommodation (SSSA) are only ever used as a last resort in cases where service accommodation either does not exist or is not available. SSSA properties may accommodate more than one entitled Service person of the same gender and of an equivalent rank. As part of the value for money programme that I chair, the entitlements of all MOD employees are being considered.
	The 50 most expensive SSSA properties rented during 2009 were as follows:
	
		
			  Location  Monthly rent (£) 
			 Glasgow 1,300.00 
			 Glasgow 1,200.00 
			 Glasgow 1,140.00 
			 Glasgow 1,133.05 
			 Glasgow 1,080.00 
			 Glasgow 1,080.00 
			 Glasgow 1,080.00 
			 Glasgow 1,075.00 
			 Glasgow 1,050.00 
			 Glasgow 1,050.00 
			 Glasgow 1,050.00 
			 Glasgow 1,041.00 
			 Glasgow 1,035.00 
			 Inverness 1,030.00 
			 Edinburgh 1,025.00 
			 Edinburgh 1,025.00 
			 Edinburgh 1,025.00 
			 Edinburgh 1,025.00 
			 Glasgow 1,020.00 
			 Glasgow 1,002.70 
			 Glasgow 1,000.00 
			 Glasgow 1,000.00 
			 Inverness 1,000.00 
			 Edinburgh 1,000.00 
			 Glasgow 995.00 
			 Edinburgh 995.00 
			 Helensburgh 985.00 
			 Glasgow 975.00 
			 Glasgow 975.00 
			 Glasgow 975.00 
			 Glasgow 975.00 
			 Aberdeen 975.00 
			 Edinburgh 975.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Glasgow 950.00 
			 Inverness 950.00 
			 Edinburgh 950.00 
		
	
	The Department has only rented 46 SSFA properties in Scotland during 2009. Details are as follows:
	
		
			  Location  Monthly rent (£) 
			 Glasgow 1,754.55 
			 Stirling 1,725.00 
			 Edinburgh 1,610.00 
			 Danestone 1,550.00 
			 Glasgow 1,525.00 
			 Glasgow 1,500.00 
			 Ellon 1,500.00 
			 Aboyne 1,400.00 
			 Arbroath 1,380.65 
			 Dunblane 1,350.00 
			 Stirling 1,250.00 
			 Callander 1,250.00 
			 Glasgow 1,200.00 
			 Stranraer 1,200.00 
			 Glasgow 1,200.00 
			 Shetland 1,150.00 
			 Stirling 1,125.00 
			 Troon 1,075.00 
			 Montrose 1,050.00 
			 Stirling 1,020.00 
			 Glasgow 995.00 
			 Dollar 995.00 
			 Troon 975.00 
			 Peebles 963.85 
			 Ellon 950.00 
			 Stirling 950.00 
			 Arbroath 910.90 
			 Stirling 895.00 
			 Glasgow 875.00 
			 Ayr 875.00 
			 Stirling 860.00 
			 Glasgow 850.00 
			 Stirling 820.00 
			 Dollar 81720 
			 Port Glasgow 813.75 
			 Aberdeen 800.00 
			 Alexandria 790.00 
			 Kirkcudbright 775.00 
			 Bridge of Weir 775.00 
			 Alloa 770.00 
			 Stirling 725.00 
			 Glasgow 701.35 
			 Eyemouth 700.00 
			 Galashiels 675.00 
			 Stirling 675.00 
			 Galashiels 650.00

Departmental Taxis

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts his Department has with private hire taxi companies; and what expenditure his Department has incurred against each such contract in each of the last three years.

Kevan Jones: The MOD has incurred expenditure on contracts with private hire taxi companies as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Gosport  RAF Inns worth  Bath  British Forces Cyprus 
			 2008-09 1,000 13,000 - 331,000 
			 2007-08 - - 23,000 216,000 
			 2006-07 - - 35,000 289,000 
		
	
	These contracts provide essential cover where official vehicles are not available for road journeys.
	The costs for British forces Cyprus reflect the need to make increased use of contracted taxis following significant efficiency savings in MOD transport in 2005-06 resulting in net transport savings of £66,000 in 2005-06, £54,000 in 2006-07, £135,000 in 2007-08 and £29,000 in 2008-09. Further rationalisation of the provision of transport in Cyprus will lead to savings in the cost of contracted taxis from 2009-10.
	Staff are instructed to use the most efficient and economic means of travel available to them.

Departmental Taxis

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts his Department has with private hire taxi companies; and what expenditure his Department has incurred against each such contract in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: The MOD has incurred expenditure on contracts with private hire taxi companies as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Gosport  RAF Innsworth  Bath  British Forces Cyprus 
			 2008-09 1,000 13,000 - 331,000 
			 2007-08 - - 23,000 216,000 
			 2006-07 - - 35,000 289,000 
			 2005-06 - - 43,000 269,000 
			 2004-05 - - 39,000 165,000 
		
	
	These contracts provide essential cover where official vehicles are not available for road journeys.
	The costs for British forces Cyprus reflect the need to make increased use of contracted taxis following significant efficiency savings in MOD transport in 2005-06 resulting in net transport savings of £66,000 in 2005-06, £54,000 in 2006-07, £135,000 in 2007-08 and £29,000 in 2008-09. Further rationalisation of the provision of transport in Cyprus will lead to savings in the cost of contracted taxis from 2009-10.
	Staff are instructed to use the most efficient and economic means of travel available to them.

HMS Sheffield

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the letter of 7 January 2006 to the hon. Member for North East Hampshire, whether the comprehensive review of the board of inquiry report into the sinking of HMS Sheffield has been completed.

Bill Rammell: As my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for the Armed Forces announced on 2 November 2006 and 25 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 23WS and 1943W, the BOI report was published through the MOD's Freedom of Information Publication scheme in November 2006, and other related documentation, including many of the annexes to the report, in August 2007. These documents are available at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FreedomOfInformation/PublicationScheme

UK Defence Academy: Admissions

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many students from Estonia have attended the UK Defence Academy at Shrivenham in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: In the last five years five students from Estonia have attended courses run by the Defence Academy of the UK.
	The Estonian students attendance on the Academy's courses provides them with an insight into military operational planning and the interrelationship with UK and international foreign policy. The courses also enable students from a wide range of international backgrounds to debate and develop an understanding of issues relating to management, leadership, ethics and justification of military intervention at national, joint and coalition levels.
	The Defence Academy has also enhanced their relationship with the Baltic-Defence College (BDC) located in Estonia. The Dean of one of the Academy's academic providers and the BDC Dean are currently discussing the possibility of an academic faculty exchange programme. The Academy has also provided BDC with an electronic learning package and are currently discussing the further development of an electronic learning capability.

Watan Risk Management: Contracts

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department  (a) has and  (b) has had contracts with Watan Risk Management in Afghanistan.

Quentin Davies: The Department does not have and has not had contracts with Watan Risk Management in Afghanistan.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to answer Question 301552, on taxis, tabled on 19 November 2009.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 18 January 2010
	I replied to the hon. Member today.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Attendance Allowance: Chesterfield

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Chesterfield constituency claimed attendance allowance in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Attendance allowance cases in payment for the Chesterfield parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year. 
			   Total 
			 May 2005 3,550 
			 May 2006 3,600 
			 May 2007 3,640 
			 May 2008 3,560 
			 May 2009 3,500 
			  Notes:  1. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital.  2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Attendance Allowance: Lewes

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Lewes constituency claimed attendance allowance in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is the following table.
	
		
			  Attendance allowance cases in payment for the Lewes parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year 
			   Total 
			 May 2005 2,470 
			 May 2006 2,580 
			 May 2007 2,630 
			 May 2008 2,650 
			 May 2009 2,830 
			  Notes:  1. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital.  2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in her Department received bonus payments in 2008-09; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There are two pay-related employee reward schemes operating in the Department for Work and Pensions. They comprise end of year non-consolidated performance pay and in-year special awards.
	 End of Year Non-Consolidated Performance Pay
	DWP employees below the senior civil service are eligible for an annual individual non-consolidated performance payment if they attain a "Top", "Higher" or "Majority" rating under the annual performance and development system. The actual payment awarded is determined by the employee's pay band and the performance level achieved.
	For the senior civil service, end of year non-consolidated performance pay is determined by the relevant departmental pay committee, in line with recommendations by the independent senior salaries review body. The total payments made for 2008-09 were as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total number of recipients  Proportion of total workforce (percentage)  Total paid (£ million)  Average bonus amount per head (£) 
			 2008-09 107,726 94 23.32 216.48 
		
	
	The largest single payment, for a member of the SCS, was £15,000.
	 Special Awards :
	Individuals may be awarded a special award either as cash or retail vouchers. These are one-off recognition awards, payable at any time during the performance year to recognise exceptional achievements beyond what would normally be expected.
	The total number of awards made was as follows (a small number of individuals may have received more than 1 cash or voucher payment during the year in question):
	 Cash payments:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total number of cash payments issued  Total Paid (£ million)  Average payment per head (£) 
			 2008-09 14,612 3.04 £208 
		
	
	The largest single payment for a special award was £8,000.
	 Voucher Payments :
	
		
			  Financial year  Total number of vouchers issued  Total cost (£ million)  Average value (£) 
			 2008-09 47,121 2.02 Between 25.00 and 50.00

Disability Living Allowance: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Stroud constituency have claimed disability living allowance in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance cases in payment for the Stroud parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year. 
			   Total 
			 May 2005 2,990 
			 May 2006 3,080 
			 May 2007 3,220 
			 May 2008 3,380 
			 May 2009 3,550 
			  Notes:  1. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital.  2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

EU Law

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) statutory instruments and  (b) other regulations her Department has brought forward in this Parliament to meet obligations arising from EU law.

Jonathan R Shaw: Central records of statutory instruments made under specific powers have only been maintained by the statutory instruments registrar since 2001. A record has been maintained since that time of statutory instruments made under powers in the European Communities Act 1972, but no record has been maintained of statutory instruments made under other legislation in order to meet obligations arising from EU law. It would be disproportionately costly to seek to find out now what statutory instruments have been made under such other legislation. There are no central records maintained of "other regulations". Since 2001 my department has made 39 statutory instruments (including one for which the Privy Council Office was technically responsible) under powers contained in the European Communities Act 1972. A list of those instruments is set out in the following table
	
		
			   SI Number  SI Title  Authority  Secondary authority (where applicable) 
			 2009 2009/1906 Occupational Pension Schemes (Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009) Regulations DWP - 
			 2009 2009/515 Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations DWP - 
			 2009 2009/693 Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments and Revocations) Regulations DWP - 
			 2009 2009/716 Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations DWP - 
			 2008 2008/2108 Export and Import of Dangerous Chemicals Regulations DWP - 
			 2008 2008/2337 Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2008 2008/3008 Race Relations Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2008 2008/736 Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations DWP - 
			 2008 2008/963 Sex Discrimination (Amendment of Legislation) Regulations DWP - 
			 2007 2007/1398 Transfer of State Pensions and Benefits Regulations DWP - 
			 2007 2007/293 Biocidal Products (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2007 2007/3014 Occupational Pension Schemes (EEA States) Regulations DWP - 
			 2007 2007/813 Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations DWP - 
			 2007 2007/814 Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations DWP - 
			 2006 2006/1733 Occupational Pension Schemes (Winding up Procedure Requirement) Regulations DWP - 
			 2006 2006/2408 Employment Equality (Age) (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2006 2006/2739 Control of Asbestos Regulations DWP - 
			 2006 2006/2931 Employment Equality (Age) (Amendment No.2) Regulations DWP - 
			 2006 2006/336 Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations DWP - 
			 2006 2006/438 Management of Health and Safety at Work (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2006 2006/657 Nuclear Reactors (Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning) (Amendment Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/1088 Control of Major Accident Hazards (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/1923 Occupational Pension Schemes (Equal Treatment) (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/2451 Biocidal Products (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/2466 Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/2571 Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/3379 Occupational Pension Schemes (Internal Controls) Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/3380 Occupational Pension Schemes (Regulatory Own Funds) Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/676 Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations DWP - 
			 2005 2005/928 Export and Import of Dangerous Chemicals Regulations DWP - 
			 2004 2004/456 Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations DWP - 
			 2003 2003/1673 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2003 2003/2457 Management of Health and Safety at Work and Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2003 2003/2770 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Pensions) Regulations DWP - 
			 2003 2003/429 Biocidal Products (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2003 2003/547 Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations DWP - 
			 2002 2002/2176 Notification of New Substances (Amendment) Regulations DWP - 
			 2002 2002/2677 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations DWP - 
			 DWP c ount 38 
			 2009 2009/1181 European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Order PCO DWP 
			 Grand  c ount 39

Pathways to Work

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of those on the Pathways to Work programme are expected to move into work.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available in the requested format.
	Official statistics for the number of job outcomes for those participating in JCP-led and provider-led pathways are available on the Department's website
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/ib_ref_p2w.asp.
	This shows that since October 2003 and as of January 2009 more than 173,000 people have moved into work through pathways (147,960 in Jobcentre Plus areas, 25,220 in provider led areas.) The next release of these statistics will be on 26 January 2010.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the cost to the public purse of increasing  (a) additional pension,  (b) increments to basic pension,  (c) increments to additional pension,  (d) increments to graduated retirement benefit,  (e) increments to the inheritable lump sum,  (f) contracted-out deduction from additional pension in respect of pre-April 1988 contracted-out earnings,  (g) contracted-out deduction from additional pension in respect of contracted-out earnings from April 1988 to 1997,  (h) graduated retirement benefit,  (i) increase of long-term incapacity for age,  (j) basic pension addition at the age of 80 years,  (k) increase of long-term incapacity for age and  (l) invalidity allowance (transitional) for state pension recipients by 2.5 per cent. in 2010-11.

Angela Eagle: The following table provides estimates of the total cost of increasing the following benefits for state pension recipients by 2.5 per cent in 2010-11:
	
		
			   Total cost (£ millions) 
			  (a) Additional pension including contracted out deductions 455 
			  (b) Increments to basic state pension 10 
			  (d) Increments to graduated retirement benefit 0 
			  (h) Graduated retirement benefit 47 
			  (j) Age addition 1 
			  (l) Invalidity allowance 2 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest million.  2. Where a value of zero is indicated, this means the total cost is less than one million pounds.  3. It is not possible to provide costings for  (c) increments to additional pension,  (e) increments to the inheritable lump sum, and  (i) increase of long-term incapacity for age, with our current models.  4. Costs of contracted out deductions:  (f) contracted-out deduction from additional pension in respect of pre-April 1988 contracted-out earnings; and  (g) contracted-out deduction from additional pension in respect of contracted-out earnings from April 1988 to 1997, are included in  (a) additional pension.  Source:  DWP, Forecasting Division.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects to bring into force the Financial Assistance Scheme (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulation 2010; and what estimate she has made of the losses incurred as a result of the failure of occupational pension schemes operating under the existing regulations.

Angela Eagle: We hope to bring the Regulation into force by spring 2010, subject to parliamentary approval.
	FAS will provide help totalling £3.5 billion to around 150,000 people who would otherwise have lost out because their defined benefit pension schemes wound up under-funded.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the oral answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 299, whether the Government will guarantee to a minimum of 90 per cent. assistance from the Financial Assistance Scheme to those whose pension schemes failed between 1997 and 2005.

Angela Eagle: Since the Government legislated in June 2008 the Financial Assistance Scheme has provided a guaranteed 90 per cent. of the pension a member had accrued when their scheme started to wind up, revalued to their retirement date in line with FAS rules. This is subject to a cap, the value of which is protected. (The cap for anyone becoming entitled to assistance payments between 1 April 2009 and 31 May 2010 is £29,386.)
	FAS will provide help totalling £3.5 billion to around 150,000 people who would otherwise have lost out because their defined benefit pension schemes wound up under-funded.

Unemployed: Health Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to her Department's White Paper on Building Britain's Recovery, what additional health support will be provided to existing claimants of jobseeker's allowance; who will provide that support; when that support will become available; and in respect of what health conditions she expects claimants to be eligible for that support.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 18 January 2010
	This Department's White paper 'Building Britain's Recovery: Achieving Full Employment' sets out our plans for a review of the support we offer to people with a health condition or disability regardless of which benefits they are claiming, including Jobseeker's Allowance customers who are managing health conditions or disabilities whilst actively looking for work.
	We will build on the existing Jobseeker's Allowance regime, which already provides advisers with the flexibility to offer customers a tailor-made and personalised approach to look for work appropriate to a person's health condition, alongside our more specialist disability employment programmes.
	We will be consulting with interested stakeholders and delivery partners over the coming weeks and will publish our proposals for future support for all customers with a health condition or disability, including when we expect these to be introduced, in the spring.

Winter Fuel Payments: Lewes

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners resident in Lewes constituency are in receipt of winter fuel allowance; and how much her Department has paid to such pensioners in winter fuel allowance in 2009-10 to date.

Angela Eagle: Information of Winter Fuel Payments for winter 2009-10 is not yet available.
	For winter 2008-09, 25,290 people received a Winter Fuel Payment in Lewes constituency at a cost of £5.5 million. We expect to make a similar number of payments for winter 2009-10.
	 Notes:
	1. Payment figures are rounded to the nearest 10
	2. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million
	3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.

Winter Fuel Payments: Salford

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of Salford have received the winter fuel payment in this winter; and what the cost of such payments was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: Information on the number of Winter Fuel Payments for winter 2009-10 is not yet available. For winter 2008-09 (the last year for which information is available), 12,400 payments were made in Salford at a cost of £3 million.
	 Notes:
	1. Payment figures are rounded to the nearest 10
	2. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million
	3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater Manchester

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have attended the accident and emergency department of each hospital in Greater Manchester as a result of injuries sustained by slipping or falling due to adverse weather conditions on each day since 20 December 2009.

Mike O'Brien: Latest provisional data on hospital admissions covers the period April to September 2009. Provisional health episode statistics data for the last three months; October to December 2009, will be available from the NHS information centre for health and social care from 9 April 2010.

Attendance Allowance: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Stroud constituency have claimed attendance allowance in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Attendance allowance cases in payment for the Stroud parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year 
			   Total 
			 2005 2,740 
			 2006 2,870 
			 2007 2,920 
			 2008 3,030 
			 2009 3,230 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital. 2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest ten.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Breast Cancer: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women resident in Preston with suspected breast cancer have seen a specialist within two weeks of referral in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The two week wait for breast cancer was introduced from April 1999 (HSC1998/242). From this date forward, all patients urgently referred for suspected breast cancer by their general practitioner could expect to be seen by a specialist within 14 days of referral.
	Data for the period 1997-2002 is not available. However, the following table details the numbers of patients covered by the standard and the reported performance for the period July 2002 to December 2008 for providers in Preston:
	
		
			  Period (where referral was received within 24 hours)  Provider  Total seen  Number of patients seen within 14 days  Percentage performance 
			 Quarter (Q)1 2002-03 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (1)- (1)- n/a 
			 Q2 2002-03 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 219 219 100.0 
			 Q3 2002-03 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 238 238 100.0 
			 Q4 2002-03 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 214 214 100.0 
			 Q1 2003-04 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 193 193 100.0 
			 Q2 2003-04 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 207 207 100.0 
			 Q3 2003-04 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 267 267 100.0 
			 Q4 2003-04 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 253 253 100.0 
			 Q1 2004-05 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 289 289 100.0 
			 Q2 2004-05 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 237 237 100.0 
			 Q3 2004-05 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 264 264 100.0 
			 Q4 2004-05 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 231 231 100.0 
			 Q1 2005-06 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 305 305 100.0 
			 Q2 2005-06 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 267 267 100.0 
			 Q3 2005-06 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 310 310 100.0 
			 Q4 2005-06 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 254 254 100.0 
			 Q1 2006-07 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 289 289 100.0 
			 Q2 2006-07 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 290 290 100.0 
			 Q3 2006-07 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 305 304 99.7 
			 Q4 2006-07 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 276 276 100.0 
			 Q1 2007-08 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 248 248 100.0 
			 Quarter (Q) 2 2007-08 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 262 262 100.0 
			 Q3 2007-08 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 300 300 100.0 
			 Q4 2007-08 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 241 241 100.0 
			 Q1 2008-09 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 292 292 100.0 
			 Q2 2008-09 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 259 259 100.0 
			 Q3 2008-09 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 289 289 100.0 
			 (1) No data available. 
		
	
	From 1 January 2009 onwards the definitions and methodology used to calculate these statistics are no longer directly comparable to those used previously. This change means that the national health service no longer adjusts the statistics for the two week wait to separate referrals after 24 hours or account for patient choice, where individuals elect to delay their appointment. Statistics for the period January 2009 to September 2009 are included in the following table:
	
		
			  Period (where referral was received within 24 hours)  Provider  Total seen  Number of patients seen within 14 days  Percentage  performance 
			 Quarter (Q) 4 2008-09 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 289 275 95.2 
			 Q1 2009-10 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 306 296 96.7 
			 Q2 2009-10 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 345 325 94.2 
			  Source: Cancer programme

Cancer: Health Services

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients saw a cancer specialist within two weeks of diagnosis in  (a) England and  (b) Milton Keynes in 2008-09.

Ann Keen: The two week wait for all cancers was introduced from 2000. From this date forward, all patients urgently referred for suspected cancer by their general practitioner could expect to be seen by a specialist within 14 days of referral. The following table shows the numbers of patients covered by this standard and the reported performance for the period April 2008 to March 2009, for England and Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
	
		
			  Period (where referral was received within 24 hours)  Total seen  Number of patients seen within 14 days  Percentage performance 
			  All English providers
			 Quarter 1 2008-09 186,364 186,120 99.9 
			 Quarter 2 2008-09 189,397 188,832 99.7 
			 Quarter 3 2008-09 186,206 185,924 99.8 
			 
			  Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
			 Quarter 1 2008-09 805 805 100 
			 Quarter 2 2008-09 917 917 100 
			 Quarter 3 2008-09 869 869 100 
		
	
	From 1 January 2009 onwards the definitions and methodology used to calculate these statistics are no longer directly comparable to those used previously. This change means that the national health service no longer adjusts the statistics for the two week wait to separate referrals after 24 hours or account for patient choice, where individuals elect to delay their appointment. The following table shows the reported performance for the period January 2009 to March 2009, for England and Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
	
		
			  Period (where referral was received within 24 hours)  Provider  Total seen  Number of patients seen within 14 days  Percentage performance 
			 Quarter 4 2008-09 All English Providers 191,508 181,038 94.5 
			 Quarter 4 2008-09 Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1,098 1,058 96.4

Cancer: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of suspected cancer patients resident in Preston saw an NHS consultant within two weeks of referral in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The two week wait for all cancers was introduced from 2000 (HSC1999/205). From this date forward, all patients urgently referred for suspected cancer by their general practitioner could expect to be seen by a specialist within 14 days of referral.
	Data for the period 1997-2002 is not available. The following table details the numbers of patients covered by the standard and the reported performance for the period April 2002 to December 2008 for providers in Preston:
	
		
			  Period (where referral was received within 24 hours)  Provider  Total seen  Number of patients seen within 14 days  Percentage  performance 
			 Quarter (Q) 1 2002-03 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Q2 2002-03 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 822 822 100.0 
			 Q3 2002-03 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 822 822 100.0 
			 Q4 2002-03 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 783 783 100.0 
			 Q1 2003-04 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 843 843 100.0 
			 Q2 2003-04 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 887 887 100.0 
			 Q3 2003-04 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 990 990 100.0 
			 Q4 2003-04 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 987 987 100.0 
			 Q1 2004-05 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,092 1,092 100.0 
			 Q2 2004-05 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,034 1,034 100.0 
			 Q3 2004-05 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,016 1,016 100.0 
			 Q4 2004-05 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 916 916 100.0 
			 Q1 2005-06 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,126 1,126 100.0 
			 Q2 2005-06 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,185 1,185 100.0 
			 Q3 2005-06 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,157 1,157 100.0 
			 Q4 2005-06 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,086 1,086 100.0 
			 Q1 2006-07 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,212 1,212 100.0 
			 Q2 2006-07 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,323 1,323 100.0 
			 Q3 2006-07 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,355 1,354 99.9 
			 Q4 2006-07 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,323 1,322 99.9 
			 Q1 2007-08 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,389 1,384 99.6 
			 Quarter (Q) 2 2007-08 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,451 1,451 100.0 
			 Q3 2007-08 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,466 1,466 100.0 
			 Q4 2007-08 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,348 1,344 99.7 
			 Q12008-09 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,486 1,486 100.0 
			 Q2 2008-09 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,453 1,453 100.0 
			 Q3 2008-09 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,427 1,427 100.0 
			 (1) No data available 
		
	
	From 1 January 2009 onwards the definitions and methodology used to calculate these statistics are no longer directly comparable to those used previously. This change means that the national health service no longer adjusts the statistics for the two week wait to separate referrals after 24 hours or account for patient choice, where individuals elect to delay their appointment. Statistics for the period January 2009 to September 2009 are included in the following table:
	
		
			  Period (where referral was received within 24 hours)  Provider  Total seen  Number of patients seen within 14 days  Percentage  performance 
			 Quarter (Q) 4 2008-09 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,573 1,511 96.1 
			 Q1 2009-10 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,721 1,601 93.0 
			 Q2 2009-10 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,867 1,737 93.0 
			  Source: Cancer Programme

Dental Services: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to improve NHS dental provision in  (a) Chorley and  (b) Lancashire in 2010.

Ann Keen: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) to plan, develop and improve national health service services according to the healthcare needs of their local populations. This includes NHS dental services. Details of plans to improve dental services in Chorley can be obtained from the Central Lancashire PCT direct.
	We have invested a record £2 billion in dentistry and set up a national access programme to help the NHS deliver its commitment to provide access for all who seek it by 2011.
	Access to NHS dentistry is growing. The latest data show that access has grown for the fifth quarter running, with 939,000 more patients accessing NHS services in the 24 months ending September 2009 than compared to the 24 months ending June 2008.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies plans to sign up to the 10:10 campaign to cut its carbon emissions by 10 per cent. in 2010.

Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Health fully supports the 10:10 campaign, and the Department has reduced its carbon emissions by over 17 per cent. since 1999-2000. We are working closely with the Carbon Trust to identify measures that will further improve our performance. The Department has recently issued 2010-11 business planning guidance to its arm's length bodies (ALBs), requiring them to produce climate change plans, and we will encourage them to do this during 2010-11.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many iPODs have been bought by his Department since 2005; and at what cost.

Phil Hope: The procurement of electronic equipment is made via centrally provided catalogues and contracts. iPODs are not available through these catalogues or contracts and therefore the Department has not purchased any iPODS since 2005.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which websites his Department's staff are prevented from accessing from departmental networked computers.

Phil Hope: The Department has an acceptable use of information technology (IT) policy for both business and personal use. This is part of our safeguards to protect staff and ensure that its systems are not used in ways that risk breaking the law, damaging the Department's reputation, causing offence to colleagues or people outside the Department or disruption to IT systems. It makes clear the types of websites that are deemed unacceptable such as on-line gambling, operating a personal or freelance business, selling items on internet auction sites (i.e. E-Bay), or participating in political activities. This policy is promoted to all staff and a commercial tool is used to enforce this policy and uses categories to control access to websites. Below is the list of categories currently blocked for departmental networked computers to protect the Department or the individual as in the case of phishing websites.
	 Blocked  c ategories
	Gambling
	Illegal or questionable
	Tasteless
	Violence
	Weapons
	Racism and Hate
	Malicious websites
	Spyware
	Phishing and other Frauds
	Keylogger
	Nudity
	Adult Content
	Sex
	URL Translation
	Proxy avoidance
	MP3 and Audio Downloads
	Militancy and Extremists
	Potentially unwanted software
	Bot nets

Eyesight: Testing

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of those resident in Preston over 
	(1)  retirement age have access to free eye tests;
	(2)  the age of 60 are entitled to free eye tests.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The number of national health service sight tests, by patient eligibility, in England in 2008-09 is available in Table B3 of Annex B of the "General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales, Year Ending 31 March 2009" report.
	This report, published on 19 August 2009, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the website of the Information Centre for health and social care:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/gosactivity0809p2
	From 1 April 1999, eligibility for a free NHS sight test was extended to everyone aged 60 or over.
	 Notes:
	1. Information is provided by primary care trust and by strategic health authority but is not available by town.
	2. From 1 April 1999, eligibility for a free NHS sight test was extended to everyone aged 60 or over. Patients may qualify for an NHS sight test on more than one criterion. However, they would only be recorded against one criterion on the form. Patients are more likely to be recorded according to their clinical need rather than their age. For example, a patient aged over 60, with glaucoma is likely to be recorded in the glaucoma category only. The count by eligibility is therefore approximate. Patients may also have had more than one sight test in the specified time period.

Health Centres: Greater London

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department provides for each primary care trust in London to establish and run of polyclinics; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The provision of polyclinics within a local health community is a matter for the local national health service in London, and funding will be drawn from a primary care trust's overall allocation.

Health Services: Isle of Man

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2010,  Official Report, column 476W, on health services: Isle of Man, if he will  (a) place in the Library and  (b) provide to the Isle of Man authorities a copy of the dataset used in the calculation of the allocation of funding provided to the Isle of Man under the present bilateral agreement.

Gillian Merron: The Isle of Man provided the dataset used in the calculation of the allocation of funding provided to the Isle of Man under the current bilateral healthcare agreement with the United Kingdom. As it contains personal data, it cannot be place in the Library.

Health Services: Isle of Man

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial contribution the Isle of Man government made to the NHS in England under the current reciprocal agreement in 2008-09; what estimate he has made of the cost of the arrangements under the reciprocal agreement with Isle of Man government to the NHS in England in 2008-09.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on 6 January 2010,  Official Report, column 476W.

Health Services: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on healthcare in Preston in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information required is not held centrally. The amount spent on health care by Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust (PCT) from 2002-03 to 2008-09, which are the only years for which information is available by organisation, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Central Lancashire PCT, purchase of health care 2002-03 to 2008-09 
			  £000 
			   Primary health care  Secondary health care  Other health care 
			 2008-09 159,147 515,266 236 
			 2007-08 155,836 482,570 1,212 
			 2006-07 153,019 438,633 669 
			 2005-06 144,117 418,192 867 
			 2004-05 127,307 387,445 634 
			 2003-04 111,669 347,682 2,561 
			 2002-03 85,505 323,138 93 
			  Notes:  1. Central Lancashire PCT serves a number of constituencies-it is not possible to disaggregate the amount spent specifically in Preston from the figures.  2. The figures are taken from the audited summarisation schedules of Central Lancashire PCT and its predecessor organisations.  3. The figures represent the total primary, secondary and other health care purchased and provided for the PCT's resident population, with the exception of primary dental and general ophthalmic services since these costs are not directly attributed to PCTs on the basis of a patient's place of residence.  4. "Other health care" as defined in the audited summarisation schedules is taken to include expenditure for national health service trust impairments, plus grants to other bodies for health related capital projects under joint working arrangements.  5. Central Lancashire PCT was formed as part of the reconfiguration of PCTs in October 2006, following the merger of Preston PCT, Chorley and South Ribble PCT and part of West Lancashire PCT.  6. The figures provided for 2002-03 to 2005-06 are the sum of these three PCTs.  Source:  Audited summarisation schedules 2002-03 to 2008-09.

Health Services: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses there were in Preston in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of national health service hospital and community health service (HCHS) staff in Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: NHS staff in each specified staff group in each specified organisation as at 30 September each year 
			  Headcount 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Central Lancashire PCT
			 Medical and Dental staff 16 24 22 26 20 27 42 
			 General Practitioners (GPs) 275 276 282 290 278 282 285 
			 HCHS Nurses 630 743 792 812 824 752 784 
			 GP Practice nurses 171 173 186 185 244 182 153 
			 
			  Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
			 Medical and Dental staff 484 482 544 559 610 640 657 
			 HCHS Nurses 1,915 1,928 1,855 1,950 2,058 2,088 2,161 
			  Notes: 1. Central Lancashire PCT was formed in 2006 from a merger of Chorley and South Ribble PCT, West Lancashire PCT and Preston PCT. Figures prior to 2006 are an aggregate of these predecessor organisations. 2. Due to the large number of organisation mergers taking place in 2002, it is impossible to accurately map work force figures for these organisations prior to 2002.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census

Health Services: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS  (a) therapists and  (b) scientists there were in Preston in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of national health service qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff in Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical (ST and T) staff by main staff group in each specified organisation as at 30 September each year 
			  Headcount 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Central Lancashire PCT
			 Allied health professionals 244 288 340 318 353 338 328 
			 Manager 7 9 11 11 15 6 7 
			 Therapist 217 255 288 263 290 282 269 
			 Scientist - 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Technician 1 1 - - - - 2 
			 Instructor/teacher 19 22 40 43 47 49 49 
			 
			 Healthcare Scientists - - 2 3 2 2 2 
			 Managers - - - 1 1 - - 
			 Medical Technical Officer/Technician - - 2 2 1 2 2 
			 
			 Other Qualified ST and T 21 30 31 36 54 48 70 
			 Consultant therapist/scientist - - - - - - 2 
			 Manager - 1 3 2 6 7 6 
			 Therapist 2 15 17 18 31 28 47 
			 Scientist 8 9 7 10 11 8 8 
			 Technician 2 1 - 1 2 3 5 
			 Instructor/teacher 9 4 4 5 4 2 2 
			 
			  Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
			 Allied health professionals 287 300 309 317 324 343 345 
			 Manager 6 5 5 5 6 7 8 
			 Therapist 271 293 286 294 304 317 319 
			 Scientist - 1 1 1 - 1 2 
			 Technician 1 - - - - - - 
			 Instructor/teacher 8 1 17 17 14 18 16 
			 Tutor 1 - - - - - - 
			 
			 Healthcare scientists - 168 193 193 200 201 199 
			 Consultant Clinical Scientist (Grade C) - - - 1 1 2 2 
			 Managers - 5 5 5 6 4 3 
			 Clinical Scientist (Grade A and B) - 1 6 5 7 8 9 
			 Advanced Practitioner Biomedical Scientist - - - - 2 3 3 
			 MLSO/Biomedical Scientist - 113 120 119 122 122 120 
			 Medical Technical Officer/Technician - 49 62 63 62 62 62 
			 
			 Other qualified ST and T 316 258 182 193 193 177 199 
			 Consultant therapist/scientist - - 1 1 - 1 1 
			 Manager 5 1 1 1 2 2 11 
			 Therapist 9 6 6 6 3 4 6 
			 Scientist 42 56 52 47 45 41 36 
			 Scientific officer 86 5 5 7 5 3 3 
			 Technician 174 190 117 131 138 126 142 
			  Notes: 1. Occupation codes for healthcare scientists were not introduced until 2003, and did not become mandatory until 2004. Prior to this these staff were collected under Other ST and T occupation codes. 2. Central Lancashire PCT was formed in 2006 from a complete merger of Chorley and South Ribble PCT, West Lancashire PCT and a part merger of Preston PCT. Figures prior to 2006 are an aggregate of these predecessor organisations. 3. Due to the large number of organisation mergers taking place in 2002, it is impossible to accurately map work force figures for these organisations prior to 2002.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census

Health Services: Salford

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent per capita on healthcare for residents of Salford  (a) in 1997 and  (b) in the latest year for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not available in the format requested. However, information relevant to spend per capita for Salford Primary Care Trust (PCT) in the period 2008-09 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Spend on health care per capita for Salford PCT 2008-09 
			   £ 
			 Spend per head of population 1,826 
			  Notes: 1. Spend on health care per capita in Salford PCT 2008-09-calculated as the PCT's total spend on health care for 2008-09, divided by the population. 2. Spend on health care is defined as the total primary, secondary and other health care purchased and provided for the PCT's resident population, with the exception of primary dental and general ophthalmic services since these costs are not directly attributed to PCTs on the basis of a patient's place of residence.  Source: Department of Health

Heart Diseases and Cancer: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department has allocated for the treatment of heart disease and cancer care in Preston in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. Information on programme budgeting estimated expenditure of cancer and tumours and problems of circulation in the Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust (PCT) is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Central Lancashire PCT-programme budgeting estimated expenditure on own population on cancer and tumours 
			  Financial year  Estimated expenditure on own population on cancer and tumours (£000) 
			 2003-04 30,063 
			 2004-05 33,563 
			 2005-06 36,527 
			 2006-07 32,888 
			 2007-08 46,692 
			 2008-09 44,066 
		
	
	
		
			  Central Lancashire PCT-programme budgeting estimated expenditure on own population on problems of circulation category and subcategories 
			  £000 
			   Estimated expenditure on own population on problems of circulation and subcategories 
			  Financial year  Coronary heart disease  Cerebrovascular disease  Problems of rhythm  Problems of circulation (other)  Problems of circulation total 
			 2003-04 - - - - 40,796 
			 2004-05 - - - - 44,661 
			 2005-06 - - - - 50,052 
			 2006-07 22,769 7,864 3,107 23,250 56,990 
			 2007-08 22,665 12,160 3,660 29,725 68,210 
			 2008-09 19,505 17,042 4,079 30,494 71,120 
			  Notes: 1. The programme budgeting data collection is complex, therefore expenditure figures are best estimates rather than precise measurements. Year on year comparisons are not straightforward due to annual refinements to the data collection methodology and changes to underlying data sources.  2. Subcategory level data tend to be less robust than main category data as they are smaller categories and are therefore subject to greater variation. 3. Figures include expenditure across all sectors. Disease specific expenditure do not include expenditure on prevention, or general practitioner expenditure, but do include prescribing expenditure.  Source: Annual PCT programme budgeting financial returns.

Heart Diseases and Cancer: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of NHS waiting times for heart surgery in Preston.

Ann Keen: Excellent progress has been made to reduce waiting times for heart patients. Since March 2005 no one should have waited more than three months for heart surgery and since the end of 2005 no one has waited more than six months for angiography.
	The following table shows the median waiting time for coronary heart disease patients still waiting for the latest period available in the Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust (PCT) area.
	
		
			  Central Lancashire PCT 
			   Median (weeks)  
			  Month Ending  CABG  PTCA  Combined  Breaches of the current standard (13 weeks) 
			 November 2009 4.2 2.4 2.7 0 
			  Notes: 1. CABG-Coronary Artery Bypass Graft 2. PTCA-Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty 3. Inpatient waiting times are measured from decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital. 4. The figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting for admission at the end of the period stated. 5. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. In particular, specialties with low numbers waiting are prone to fluctuations in the median. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data. 6. Any patient waiting longer than 13 weeks for a CABG or PTCA procedure is classed as a breach of the standard.  Source:  Department of Health Waiting List Collections MMRCOM

Heart Diseases and Cancer: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of those resident in Preston awaiting heart surgery have had the option of choosing an alternative hospital in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Hospitals: Greater London

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reviews of hospital services in London  (a) have been concluded in the last 12 months and  (b) are underway; what the remit is of each review; and if he will publish (i) all final and interim reports of such reviews and (ii) all studies and reports commissioned in support of such reviews.

Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for the local national health service.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of time was for an individual to wait for a hospital operation in Salford  (a) in 1997 and  (b) in the latest year for which information is available.

Mike O'Brien: The following table contains the median in-patient waiting time at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust in March 1997 and in the latest period for which information is available.
	
		
			  Median in-patient waiting time for elective admission patients still waiting (weeks)-all specialities at March 1997 and November 2009 at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 
			  Month ending  Median (weeks) 
			 March 1997 11.5 
			 November 2009 3.0 
			  Notes: 1. The data provided in the response have been compiled from the monthly and quarterly in-patient and out-patient waiting list information. These data are used to assess delivery against the standards for a 13-maximum wait for a first outpatient appointment and for a 26-week maximum wait for in-patient admission from the decision to admit which came into effect in December 2005. These data have been used for this answer rather than 18 weeks referral to treatment (RTT) data, because in-patient waiting time data are available for longer historical time series than RTT data. 2. The median waiting time reflects the amount of time that the 'middle' patient treated has waited. The median rather than the mean is used as it is less prone to fluctuations caused by extreme values, and reflects the experience of the average (middle) person.  Source: Department of Health

Influenza

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2009,  Official Report, column 655W, on influenza, under what budget the funding which was transferred was first allocated.

Mike O'Brien: The transfer was funded from the Department's capital departmental expenditure limit provision of £5,573 million as set out in the "Notes to the Main Estimate: Departmental Expenditure Limits and Administration Budgets" table published within Department's section of "Central Government Supply Estimates 2009-10: Main Supply Estimates for the year ending 31 March 2010"-page 78. [House of Commons HC514].

Injuries: Snow and Ice

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated at Lancashire teaching hospitals for injuries relating to snow and icy roads in the last quarter.

Ann Keen: Latest provisional data on hospital admissions cover the period April to September 2009. Provisional Health Episode Statistics data for the last three months; October to December 2009, will be available from the NHS Information Centre for health and social care from 9 April 2010. These will include admissions due to falls involving ice and snow, and land transport accidents.

NHS Foundation Trusts

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on requiring  (a) NHS foundation trusts and  (b) Monitor to provide information in response to parliamentary questions on the operation of NHS foundation trusts; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) and NHS foundation trusts (NHSFTs) are accountable to Parliament and must exercise their functions effectively, efficiently and economically. Both are expected to respond to written parliamentary questions (PQs) about their remit and operation according to the same standards expected of Ministers as outlined in the Ministerial Code. Where a PQ is for monitor to answer, Ministers respond on behalf of the regulator on the basis of information supplied to them. Where a PQ is for an individual NHSFT to answer, the question is referred to the relevant chair to respond directly to the member of Parliament or peer, and a copy of the letter is made available in the Library.
	When responding to questions during a parliamentary debate on an issue falling within the responsibility of monitor or an NHSFT, Ministers will make clear that they are responding on behalf of the organisation or more commonly refer the member of Parliament and peer to the Chair of the relevant organisation.
	An NHSFT that fails to respond to any question submitted to it by or on behalf of a member of Parliament or peer may be found in breach of terms of its Terms of Authorisation, which may potentially result in regulatory action by Monitor in response to any complaints raised.

NHS Foundation Trusts: Pay

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to regulate the  (a) pay and conditions and  (b) special bonuses of chief executives of NHS foundation trusts; what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the pay of chief executives of NHS foundation trusts; what recent representations he has received on the issue; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We have no plans to bring forward proposals to regulate the pay and conditions and special bonus arrangements for chief executives of NHS foundation trusts.
	Following detailed cross-Government discussion which included the Department, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister asked the chairman of the Senior Salaries Review Body on 23 December 2009 to carry out a review of senior pay in the public sector. That review will include the principles governing such pay, and appropriate benchmarks. The review body has now started its work, and the Department stands ready to provide support, as it is needed.

NHS: Finance

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects that changes to accounting standards will have on charitable giving to hospital funds.

Phil Hope: The application of International Financial Reporting Standards to national health service organisations will have no effect on the independence of NHS charitable funds. These will continue to be entirely separate from NHS budgets and the use of these funds will continue to be regulated by the Charity Commission. People can continue to donate to NHS charities, safe in the knowledge that their donations will be used in the way they intended.
	However, in recognition of the concern this issue has caused, we are working with colleagues in the Treasury and elsewhere to seek to delay the implementation of this requirement while we review the ways in which NHS charities are governed, to ensure their independence continues to be protected and is clear and transparent to all.

NHS: Finance

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure changes to accounting standards do not affect the independence of organisations in receipt of charitable funds donated to hospitals.

Phil Hope: Officials have met with representatives of the Charity Commission, together with other stakeholders, on several occasions in the last year to discuss changes in the accounting standards in respect of linked charitable funds and national health service organisations. I will be meeting with the chief executive and chair of the Charity Commission on 28 January 2010 to discuss this issue further.

NHS: Finance

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that funds donated to NHS services are spent in an accountable manner.

Phil Hope: Funds that are donated to national health service services are received and administered by the trustees of NHS charities. The trustees of these charities have a legal responsibility to ensure that funds are used in line with their charitable objects and in accordance with the purpose for which any specific donations have been given. This is regulated by the Charity Commission.
	Independent auditors review the use of charitable donations as part of their routine audit and will report an instance of misuse to the Charity Commission.

NHS: Finance

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has accrued in charitable funds donated  (a) to each primary care trust and  (b) in each strategic health authority area in the last three years.

Phil Hope: The Department does not hold information on the funds of NHS Charities. The accounts of NHS Charities are held by the Charity Commission.

Patients: Surveys

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the sample base is of the GP patient survey being conducted by the Peninsular Medical School and the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre at the University of Manchester; what the timescale is for the survey; when the results will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The GP Patient survey is conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Department of Health. The Department has worked closely with academics from Peninsula Medical School, the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre and the University of Cambridge to develop the questionnaire.
	The questionnaire is sent to 5.7 million patients in England over the course of the year. Each quarter approximately 1.4 million patients will be asked to take part. Quarters 1 and 2 were published on 17 December 2009. Further publications will be made in April and June 2010.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission: Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse was of the Audit Commission oneplace website on the latest date for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the Chief  Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 20 January 2010:
	Parliamentary Question: what the cost to the public purse was of the Audit Commission Oneplace website on the latest date for which figures are available.
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
	The cost incurred by the Audit Commission of building the Oneplace web portal is £484,000. This includes an estimated £220,000 on design and consultation with members of the public to ensure that the site meets their needs. The Audit Commission has incurred these costs on behalf of the inspectorates and regulators with responsibility for CAA.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Audit Commission: National Fraud Authority

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what contribution the National Fraud Authority makes to the Audit Commission's National Fraud Initiative.

Rosie Winterton: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 20 January 2010:
	Parliamentary Question: what contribution the National Fraud Authority makes to the Audit Commission's National Fraud Initiative.
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
	Bernard Herdan, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Fraud Authority (NFA) is one of two external stakeholder members of the Audit Commission's Data Matching Strategy Board.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Audit Commission: Political Activities

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the letter from the Head of the Home Civil Service of 12 January 2009 on non-departmental public bodies: attendance at party conferences, which individual in his Department approved the attendance of Audit Commission representatives at party conferences in 2009.

Barbara Follett: The Permanent Secretary, Peter Housden, approved the attendance of Audit Commission representatives at party conferences in 2009, within the guidelines laid down by the Cabinet Office.

Audit Commission: Public Opinion

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1261W, on the Audit Commission: procurement, how much the Audit Commission paid to  (a) ComRes,  (b) YouGov and  (c) Consolidated Communications in 2008-09; on what dates such payments were made; and what services were provided by each organisation.

Rosie Winterton: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 20 January 2010:
	Parliamentary Question: pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 16 December 2009, Official Report, column 1261W, on the Audit Commission: procurement, how much the Audit Commission paid to (a) ComRes, (b) YouGov and (c) Consolidated Communications in 2008-09; on what dates such payments were made; and what services were provided by each organisation.
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
	The Commission made the following payments to:
	
		
			  ComRes:   
			 12 February 2009 £5,117.50 Changes in council performance assessment 
			 5 March 2009 £5,117.50 Changes in council performance assessment 
			 24 March 2009 £10,350 Follow-up work to a Councillors Poll 
		
	
	
		
			  YouGov:   
			 11 March 2009 £4,099.75 Better Use of Information Study 
		
	
	
		
			  Consolidated Communications:   
			 29/04/2008 £5,000 Public Affairs consultancy 
			 26/05/2008 £5,000 Public Affairs consultancy 
			 17/07/2008 £5,000 Public Affairs consultancy 
			 26/08/2008 £5,000 Public Affairs consultancy 
			 16/10/2008 £5,000 Public Affairs consultancy 
		
	
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Buildings: Energy

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the level of compliance with the requirement to provide display energy certificates in all public buildings of over 1,000 square metres; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The 29 March 2007 "Regulatory Impact Assessment Energy Performance of Buildings Directive Articles 7-10" estimated that there are approximately 42,000 public buildings that require a Display Energy Certificate (DEC). As of 14 January 2010, the latest date for which figures are available, the total number of public sector buildings or sites for which DECs have been lodged on the non-domestic register currently stands at 32,364.
	The Office of Government Commerce are working with facilities managers to improve the level of compliance in Government buildings from the current level of 85 per cent., while CLG has written to local authorities reminding them of their responsibilities to have DECs prepared on buildings in their ownership.

Council Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 213W, on council tax, what information his Department holds on the  (a) type and  (b) level of discount offered by each authority named in the answer.

Barbara Follett: The information held by Communities and Local Government in respect of local council tax discounts in operation under the Local Government Act 2003 offered by each authority in England consists of indicators to show if (a) the authority has used this power to reduce the council tax payable between 1 April and 5 October 2009, and (b) if the authority plans to use this power between the 6 October 2009 and 31 March 2010. In addition the authority is required to provide details of the circumstances in which they have reduced, or will reduce, the amount payable; any classes of case in respect of which a reduction has been, or will be granted and the reduction granted.
	The data are reported on CTB (Supplementary) forms submitted annually in October by all billing authorities in England to Communities and Local Government.

Departmental Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what performance targets his Department used to determine whether to grant staff bonuses in the last financial year.

Barbara Follett: In Communities and Local Government, annual non-consolidated performance awards are made to those members of staff who are found to have made a significant contribution towards the achievement of the teams, and/or Department's objectives. Individuals are expected to show that they have exceeded the requirements set for the achievement of the objective and have demonstrated exemplary behaviour in doing so. Our senior civil service staff members are also assessed against a range of factors, such as:
	The achievement of their prime objective which focuses on the way in which they lead, manage and develop their staff;
	Degree to which business objectives are met;
	Delivery for Ministers;
	Demonstration of skills such as judgment, leadership and the PSG skills;
	Effective resource management.
	Employees below the senior civil service are also eligible to receive special non-consolidated performance awards that reward exceptional performance over a limited period in particularly demanding tasks or situations. They relate to specific tasks carried out exceptionally well: they are not intended to reflect continuous/sustained good performance throughout the year, which should be reflected in the annual performance awards.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many sessions of media training were organised for Ministers in his Department in each of the last three years.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1498W.

Departmental Waste

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what volume of waste his Department generated in each of the last three years; what percentage of this was  (a) paper,  (b) plastic,  (c) glass,  (d) metal,  (e) electrical goods and batteries and  (f) food waste; and what percentage of his Department's waste was (i) disposed of securely, (ii) disposed of in landfill and (iii) recycled.

Barbara Follett: The following table identifies the amount of waste generated by the Department for Communities and Local Government over the last three years and further details the percentage of waste disposed of securely, disposed of in landfill and the waste recycled.
	
		
			  CLG Central 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Total waste (tonnes) 461 624 476 
			 Percentage of paper(1) 28 42 42 
			 Percentage of plastic 2 1 2 
			 Percentage of glass 8 3 1 
			 Percentage of metal 4 1 1 
			 Percentage of electrical good and batteries 1 1 1 
			 Percentage of food waste 5 3 8 
			 Percentage disposed of securely 2 2 1 
			 Percentage disposed of in landfill(2) 0.13 0.10 0.11 
			 Percentage total recycled rate(3) 57 68 62 
			 (1) The data for paper includes cardboard as these materials are often mixed for recycling. (2) General waste is sent to an incineration plant to generate energy from waste. The ash produced from the process is the only waste sent to landfill. (3) This data includes materials separated and sent for external reuse by other organisations. 
		
	
	The total waste increased in 2007-08 due to refurbishment work associated relocations. However, general waste sent for incineration did not increase as the main increase was paper and furniture which was recycled or reused.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 22 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1650W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, how much and what proportion of the formula grant given to local authorities in the most recent year for which figures are available related to  (a) waste collection and  (b) waste disposal duties.

Barbara Follett: Formula grant, which comprises revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and principal formula police grant where appropriate is an unhypothecated block grant, i.e. councils are free to spend it on any service provided that they meet their statutory duties. For this reason, and due to the method of calculating formula grant, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant has been allocated for any particular service.

Fire Services: Disadvantaged

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 378W, on the Equality Bill, what assessment has been made of the likely effect of a duty to tackle socio-economic disadvantage of the effectiveness of the Fire and Rescue Service in  (a) preventing and  (b) tackling fires.

Michael Jabez Foster: I have been asked to reply.
	Where the socio-economic duty applies to fire and rescue authorities, it will ensure that they continue to focus their preventative work on the households and areas that are most at risk of fire, and encourage and support their joint working on this with key partners. The duty will not affect the work of fire and rescue services in tackling fires.

Government Departments: Energy

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the level of compliance with the requirement to provide energy performance certificates in respect of the sale of buildings in the commercial property sector; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The 29 March 2007 "Regulatory Impact Assessment Energy Performance of Buildings Directive Articles 7-10" estimated that there was likely to be a need for approximately 216,000 non-domestic EPCs to be prepared per annum following the coming into force of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/991).
	Up to and including 13 January 2010, the latest date for which figures are available, the total number of non-domestic EPCs that has been prepared since the regulations came into force in relation to non-domestic buildings in April 2008 is 141,339.
	We recognise that non-compliance is a cause for concern in the non-domestic sector, although these requirements were only extended to include all non-domestic buildings from October 2008. From April 2008, only buildings with a total floor area greater than 10,000 square metres required an EPC and from July 2008 only those with a total floor area greater than 2,500 square metres. It is also important to note that the estimates included in the impact assessment pre-dated the economic downturn, which is likely to have had a negative impact on demand.
	The regulations stipulate that local weights and measures authorities are responsible for enforcement. We have taken a number of steps to assist them in this task, including providing advice and guidance to trading standards officers (TSOs) about what is required and who is responsible, and providing them with full access to the EPC Register for enforcement purposes.
	We are also considering what more might be done through the regulations themselves in order to clarify when the need for an EPC for non-domestic buildings is triggered and whether to bring forward elements of the recast of the EPBD once it has been adopted by the European Union to make it easier for TSOs to identify the person responsible for making that an EPC is made available to prospective buyers and tenants can more readily be identified and targeted for enforcement action.

Local Government Services: Complaints

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department plans to make a formal response to the report of the independent review on redress for citizens chaired by David Cook.

Barbara Follett: We are currently discussing the recommendations made in the review team's report, "Getting it Right and Righting the Wrongs", with colleagues across Whitehall, and will be issuing a formal Government response shortly. A number of the report's recommendations are already being taken forward by the programme of pilots currently under way to explore the use of the practitioners' toolkit produced by the review.

Local Government: Cornwall

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his latest estimate is of the gross costs consequent on local government restructuring in Cornwall since 2007.

Barbara Follett: Cornwall council's latest estimate of the gross costs of setting up the new unitary council is £19 million. This year the council has budgeted to make savings of some £15.64 million in 2009-10 of which 87 per cent. are already delivered. In addition the council is investing a further £23.6 million in its transformation programme which will deliver additional savings and service improvements.

Local Government: Cost Effectiveness

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the members are of his local government task force on value for money efficiencies; which members represent trade unions; what private sector representation there will be on that task force; and whether members of that task force have made a declaration of political activity.

Barbara Follett: The members of the "Putting the Frontline First" Task Force are:
	Sir Steve Bullock-Mayor of LB Lewisham and chair of LGA HR panel (co-chair)
	Sir Richard Leese-Leader, Manchester city council (co-chair)
	John Ransford-LGA
	Jan Parkinson-LGE
	Steve Bundred-Audit Commission
	Steve Freer-CIPFA
	Heather Wakefield-Unison
	Joyce Redfearn-Chief executive, Wigan council and national chair of RIEPs
	Nicola Bulbeck-Chief executive, Teignbridge district council, and interim chief executive, Torridge district council
	Andrew Kerr-Chief executive, North Tyneside
	Chris Bull-Chief executive, Herefordshire council and Herefordshire PCT
	The task force has a Unison representative on the membership, and does not include any private sector representation. The task force members have not made a declaration of political activity.

Local Government: Elections

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has given to local authorities on whether funding under the Connecting Communities programme may be spent during a regulated election period.

Barbara Follett: Communities and Local Government has given no advice to local authorities on whether funding under the Connecting Communities programme may be spent during the pre-election period of local elections. There are specific codes of conduct, guidance and legal requirements regarding the activities of local authorities during this period.
	In particular, local authorities must have regard to the specific guidance, contained in the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity issued under section 4 of the Local Government Act 1985. Paragraphs 41 and 43 contain the guidance to councils about publicity between the notice of an election and the election itself. It is up to local authorities, having regard to this guidance, to decide what they deem appropriate activity during this period.

Local Government: Publicity

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has set for the publication of a revised Code of Conduct on Local Authority Publicity.

Rosie Winterton: We will be publishing our response to the over 300 representations we received on our consultation about possible revisions to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity shortly.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what evaluation work his Department has undertaken on the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Rosie Winterton: The Department published an evaluation report on the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund in November 2008 entitled 'Impacts and Outcomes of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund'. The report can be accessed via the CLG website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/nrfimpactsoutcomes

Non-domestic Rates

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of businesses were participating in the business rate deferral scheme on the latest date for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: Our priority is to give businesses real help now so that they are able to manage in the current economic climate. The deferral scheme is part of a wide package of support the Government have put in place, and it was up to businesses to decide whether to use this option depending on their individual circumstances. We have asked local authorities to collect figures on the total number of deferrals granted and the total amount deferred and we intend to publish that data after the end of the billing year.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average catalyst price per litre of unleaded fuel was used to calculate the business rate for  (a) non-supermarket and  (b) supermarket petrol retail outlets in the year to 1 April 2009.

Barbara Follett: An overall 'average' Catalist price per litre of unleaded fuel for  (a) non-supermarket and  (b) supermarket retail outlets was not used to assess rateable values for the draft 2010 Rating Lists.
	Individual site average prices per litre were obtained for the calendar years 2005-07 from Experian Catalist. Individual site 2007 figures, where supplied, were used together with the fair maintainable throughput of the site to arrive at a value per 1,000 litres of maintainable throughput.
	The average 2007 price per litre of unleaded fuel for England and Wales, as supplied by Catalist was 94.99 pence per litre (ppl). On the information supplied, the average for all non-supermarket sites was 95.27ppl, while the average for all supermarket sites was 93.50ppl.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what ceiling applied to  (a) non-supermarket and  (b) supermarket petrol retail outlet shop sales in assessing rateable values for the purpose of calculating the business rate to come into effect from 1 April 2010.

Barbara Follett: The value of the forecourt shop, forming part of either  (a) non-supermarket or  (b) supermarket petrol filling stations, has been capped at £110,000 rateable value.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methodology will be used to rate  (a) supermarket petrol retail outlets and  (b) non-supermarket petrol retail outlets for their new rateable value for the purpose of calculating the business rate to come into effect on 1 April 2010.

Barbara Follett: The rental comparative method of valuation has been used to value both  (a) supermarket and  (b) non-supermarket petrol filling stations.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what relative changes in property values have been taken into account in assessing the rateable values of petrol retail outlets for the purpose of calculating the business rate to come into effect on 1 April 2010.

Barbara Follett: The relative change in the rental value of petrol filling stations between 1 April 2003 and 1 April 2008 have been taken into account in assessing the rateable values of petrol retail outlets for the 2010 revaluation, which comes into effect on 1 April 2010.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information was used to reach the assessment of the new rateable values for petrol retail outlets prior to the business rate to come into effect on 1 April 2010.

Barbara Follett: Rental evidence obtained from petrol filling station operators forms the primary information base used to reach rateable values. Additionally, information gained from discussions with industry representatives and anecdotal evidence from surveyors working in the specific rental market have been used.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the date was of the revaluation of petrol retail outlets used for the purpose of calculating the current business rate for such outlets.

Barbara Follett: The Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD) for the current Rating Lists, for all non-domestic hereditements, including petrol retail outlets, is 1 April 2003. The equivalent date for the revaluation due to come into force on 1 April 2010 is l April 2008. Physical changes affecting the property or its locality are usually included in the valuation, or altered valuation, as at the date of the change.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government over what period the assessment took place of rateable values of petrol retail outlets for the purpose of calculating the business rate to come into effect on 1 April 2010; and what information has become available to his Department on  (a) the volume of forecourt petrol sales and  (b) levels of revenue from forecourt (i) shops and (ii) car washes since the end of that period.

Barbara Follett: Discussions about the assessment of rateable values of petrol retail outlets between the Valuation Office Agency and industry representatives began in October 2007. The 2010 Petrol Valuation Scheme was developed during the period from then until draft individual valuations were published on 1 October 2009. Discussions with industry representatives and their agents are ongoing.
	No information on the volume of forecourt petrol sales and levels of revenue from forecourt shops and car washes since 1 October 2009 has become available to Communities and Local Government. Further information has become available to the Valuation Office Agency as part of its ongoing discussions with industry representatives and, where relevant, will be taken into account in the final assessments of the rateable values of petrol retail outlets used for the purpose of calculating their non-domestic rates as from 1 April 2010.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether trading conditions in the petrol retail trade since the last date used to assess the rateable value of petrol retail outlets for the purpose of calculating the business rate from 1 April 2010 have been taken into account in setting that rate.

Barbara Follett: The Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD) for the revaluation due to come into force on 1 April 2010 is 1 April 2008. Changes in value after this date that are solely due to economic factors are not reflected in rateable values. However, physical changes to the property or its locality, which would have a material effect on the rental value of the property, can be taken into account.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Homeworking

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether dwellings in which home working is undertaken are liable for business rates.

Barbara Follett: The nature, extent and frequency of any non-domestic use within a home will determine whether the homeworking is merely de minimis in the context of the dwelling, or whether the use is of sufficient scale and intensity as to warrant a separate rateable value. In the majority of cases the type and scale of use together with the domestic nature of a room and furniture will not result in rateability. Each case is treated on its own merits as explained in the VOA factsheet 'Working at or from home' accessible on the VOA website.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the fast track reviews of new rating assessments on port companies have begun; how many have been completed; and how many of these resulted in assessment reduction.

Barbara Follett: As at 18 January 2010, the fast track arrangements introduced by the Valuation Office Agency on 24 November 2008, have been applied to 799 proposals (appeals), of which 567 or 71 per cent. have been completed.
	Of the 567 settled cases, 385 have been withdrawn or dismissed by independent valuation tribunal. The remaining 182 cases have been settled, either by agreement or by a decision of the valuation tribunal, resulting in a change to the rating assessment.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which ports re-assessments of rate demands on newly-rated port businesses have resulted in wharves being taken out of the assessments; and if he will extend the re-assessment process to the port of  (a) Grimsby,  (b) Immingham and  (c) Goole.

Barbara Follett: Within the ports of Hull and Southampton, the Valuation Office Agency has taken action under the fast track arrangements, which has resulted in some of the wharves which had been separately assessed under the ports review being merged back into the main port assessments from 1 April 2005. This is the result of new evidence becoming available which supports these changes.
	The Valuation Office Agency continues to pursue resolution of these issues and keep ratepayers informed at other ports-this includes Grimsby, Immingham and Goole.
	Where changes have not been made this is either because the facts do not support an alteration of the rating lists or the parties have not agreed the facts that may still prove material to any such decision.

Non-domestic Rates: Shops

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what method was used to assess the rateable value of a high street shop for the purposes of calculating the business rate to come into effect from 1 April 2010.

Barbara Follett: High street shops have been valued by application of the rental comparative method of valuation using rates per square metre derived from local rental evidence. It is widely accepted that this is the most suitable approach for the analysis and valuation of standard shop units.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	In the last five years, alongside rising petrol prices and increasing turnover, the rents paid on many petrol filling stations has grown. It is only fair to all ratepayers this is reflected in rate bills. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.

Non-domestic Rates: Supermarkets

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what formula was used to assess the rateable value of a supermarket convenience store for the purpose of calculating the new business rate for such a store from 1 April 2010.

Barbara Follett: Convenience stores have not been valued by formula; they have been valued by the rental comparative method.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. That is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Paper

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 9 December 2009,  Official Report, column 390W, on departmental electronic equipment, how much his Department spent on photocopier paper in the latest year for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: During the 12 months ending December 2009 the Department has spent £88,289.68 on photocopier paper.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much net revenue has been raised in local authority parking charges, fees and fines in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms based on 2010 prices in each year since 1997-98.

Barbara Follett: The net revenue income on total parking services in England in cash and real terms (at 2008-09 prices) in each year since 1997-98 is tabled as follows.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Net revenue income on parking services 
			   Cash value  Real terms (at 2008-09 prices) 
			 1997-98 222.8 290.0 
			 1998-99 247.2 315.1 
			 1999-2000 286.9 358.6 
			 2000-01 315.5 389.3 
			 2001-02 342.7 413.6 
			 2002-03 380.2 444.5 
			 2003-04 439.1 499.3 
			 2004-05 455.7 504.1 
			 2005-06 483.6 525.1 
			 2006-07 483.1 509.6 
			 2007-08 515.8 528.8 
			 2008-09 490.1 490.1 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns from 1997-98 to 2008-09. 
		
	
	Parking services includes both on-street and off-street parking services.
	Net revenue income is defined here as income from sales, fees and charges (eg parking charges, penalty charge notice income) plus other (non-grant) income less the cost of running parking services including staffing costs.
	From 2003-04 onwards the information is collected on a Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 17 basis. Comparison between FRS 17 and Non-FRS17 information may not be valid.

Public Sector

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's press release of 30 July 2009, on the Total Place initiative, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report conducted by Deloitte for the Leicester and Leicestershire Total Place pilot.

Rosie Winterton: A copy of the Deloitte research report 'Measuring the Workload: Public Sector Performance Reporting and Inspection Regimes in Leicester' will be placed in the Library.

Regional Planning and Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role regional development agencies have in respect of regional spatial strategies; and what timetable has been set for the implementation of the provisions of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 which relate to local planning.

Rosie Winterton: Regional Planning Bodies are currently required to consult Regional Development Agencies before submitting a draft Regional Spatial Strategy to the Secretary of State. The planning elements of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 will commence on 1 April 2010.

TREASURY

Budgets

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to make his next Budget Statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Ellwood) on 13 January,  Official Report, column 1050W.

Council Tax

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of  (a) providing a two year grant to local authorities worth 2.5 per cent. of council tax, on condition that those authorities do not increase council tax bills for those years and  (b) providing ongoing compensation for local authorities for the resulting permanent reduction in their council tax receipts.

Liam Byrne: It is estimated that it would cost £650 million in year one and £1,320 million in year two to reimburse each authority for the income forgone by not increasing their Band D council tax by 2.5 per cent. in each year.
	These figures cover all local authorities, police authorities and fire and rescue authorities in England. Responsibility for council tax and other local authority matters in Scotland and Wales rests with the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government.
	It is assumed that year one refers to the next full financial year (2010-11) and year two to 2011-12. This calculation assumes that local authorities freeze their council tax, and in year two are also compensated for the fact that their council tax base did not increase in year one. It is also assumed that reductions in tax receipts, compared to the case if this policy were not implemented, are completely offset by reductions in local authority self-financed expenditure.
	 (b) As authorities Band D council tax levels would have been higher in the absence of this policy it would be necessary to provide ongoing compensation, estimated at £1,320 million per annum, to leave authorities in the position in which they would otherwise have been.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many plasma screen televisions his Department has purchased since 2001; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such screens in each such year.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information relating to financial years prior to 2005-06 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For information on 2005-06 and 2006-07 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 27 March 2008,  Official Report, column 384W.
	The Treasury purchased one plasma screen television in 2008-09 at a cost of £2,430.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many iPODs have been bought by his Department since 2005; and at what cost.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: None.

Housing: Leaseback Arrangements

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many sale and rent back transactions of domestic properties have been recorded by the Financial Services Authority in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Operational issues are a matter for the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which is independent of Government.
	The FSA has started gathering data on the number of sale and rent back agreements entered into by regulated firms since the outset of the interim regime in July 2009. However, figures are not available at this early stage.

Inheritance Tax

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the revenue implications of the introduction of the transferable nil-rate band for inheritance tax.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 18 January 2010
	 Estimates of the revenue implications of the introduction of the transferable nil-rate band for inheritance tax can be found in table A.2 of Budget 2008, available at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/bud08_chaptera.pdf

Landfill Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the High Court ruling in the case of the Waste Recycling Group  v. HM Revenue and Customs on landfill tax.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The effect of the Court of Appeal's judgment in the Waste Recycling Group case was to reduce the revenue yield from landfill tax and render certain waste materials non-taxable, even though they have a detrimental environmental impact. We estimate that around £300 million will be repaid on related claims for periods before 1 September 2009. The Exchequer could also have lost as much as £60 million this financial year and a further £140 million for each subsequent year, if the Government had not made the legislative changes to the landfill tax introduced on 1 September 2009. These changes brought uses of waste materials covered by the Court of Appeal judgment back within the scope of the tax.

Opposition

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many man-hours were spent by staff in his Department undertaking cost analysis of Opposition policies over the last 12 months; and at what cost.

David Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many hours have been spent by his Department's officials on the production of costings of opposition party policies in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: There have been long-standing arrangements under successive administrations applying to the costing of policies and pledges of Opposition parties. Information relating to time spent by Treasury officials in undertaking analysis, including costs analyses, is not held in a disaggregated form.

Share Fisherman's Scheme: Duty

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much duty has been collected at each location from the Share Fishermen's Scheme in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: Payments received under the Share Fisherman's Scheme in the last five years are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   England, Wales and Northern Ireland  Scotland 
			 2005 1,510,180 4,636,486 
			 2006 1,594,124 4,804,904 
			 2007 1,924,492 4,540,353 
			 2008 2,088,202 4,057,633 
			 2009 1,854,100 3,051,789

Taxation: Debts

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of winding-up petitions of companies have been lodged by HM Revenue and Customs since 1 April 2008; and how much debt is owed to the Exchequer through such petitions.

Stephen Timms: The number of winding up petitions filed in England and Wales by HM Revenue and Customs from 1 April 2008 to 30 September 2009 was around 5,800 which equates to around 30 per cent. of those lodged overall.
	The information on the value of debt contained within those petitions is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Taxation: Gaming Machines

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment was made of the effects of the implementation of the Joint Statement between HM Revenue and Customs and the Gambling Commission in relation to amusement machines which offer games designed to look like recognised games of chance on  (a) the revenue collected by the Exchequer in relation to these amusement machines,  (b) the amusement and pub sectors and  (c) the traditional British seaside economy; who was consulted on the terms of the joint statement before it was made; and what assessment has been made of whether the terms of the joint statement comply with the Hampton principles of better regulation.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HMRC is under an obligation to apply existing legislation. The joint statement was prepared with the Gambling Commission and clarifies existing legislation; therefore, no impact assessment was required or done. HMRC is not required to and did not assess whether the joint statement complies with the Hampton principles of better regulation.

Valuation Office: Local Government

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 30 June 2009,  Official Report, column 204W, on council tax: Valuation Office Agency, whether the Government have taken a decision on the recommendation to establish a statutory information gateway between the Agency and billing authorities.

Ian Pearson: Before the recommendation on the information gateway can be implemented, the costs and benefits must be considered and the opportunity for enabling legislation must be identified. This work is ongoing.

Valuation Office: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to page 30 of the Valuation Office Agency's Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09, what the reasons are for the increase in the salary of the then Chief Executive from 2007-08 to 2008-09.

Ian Pearson: The VOA chief executive's base pay increased by 3.4 per cent. between 2007-08 and 2008-09. The overall salary including bonus increased by 15.4 per cent., with the remainder of the increase being accounted for by a higher non- consolidated performance related award in 2008-09 than 2007-08.

Valuation Office: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current salary is of the chief executive of the Valuation Office Agency.

Ian Pearson: The base pay of the current VOA chief executive is in the band £100,00 to £105,000.

Welfare Tax Credits: Lewes

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the number of families in each ward of Lewes constituency in receipt of  (a) working tax credit and  (b) child tax credit.

Stephen Timms: A number of the electoral wards within Lewes constituency are also part of other parliamentary constituencies within the local authority of Lewes. Therefore the following table shows, for each ward within the local authority of Lewes, as at 1 December 2009, estimates of the number of households benefiting from tax credits. Due to small sample sizes, separate information on the number of households receiving working tax credits and child tax credits in each ward is not shown.
	In addition, estimates of the number of families benefiting in each local authority and parliamentary constituency are provided in the HM Revenue and Customs snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, December 2009", available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	
		
			  Ward  Number of households in receipt of tax credits( 1) 
			 Barcombe and Hamsey - 
			 Chailey and Wivelsfield 300 
			 Ditchling and Westmeston - 
			 East Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs 500 
			 Kingston - 
			 Lewes Bridge 500 
			 Lewes Castle 500 
			 Lewes Priory 600 
			 Newhaven Denton and Meeching 1,000 
			 Newhaven Valley 500 
			 Newick - 
			 Ouse Valley and Ringmer 500 
			 Peacehaven East 500 
			 Peacehaven North 500 
			 Peacehaven West 300 
			 Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington and St. John (Without) - 
			 Seaford Central 400 
			 Seaford East 300 
			 Seaford North 500 
			 Seaford South 200 
			 Seaford West 300 
			 (1) Due to small sample sizes, the figures for some wards are not shown.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Richard Benyon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria his Department uses in deciding whether to write off tax credit overpayment debts for the tax years 2003-04 and 2004-05; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Judy Mallaber) on 21 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1516W.

CABINET OFFICE

Central Office of Information: Contracts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the Central Office of Information press release of 22 April 2008, what estimate has been made of the monetary value of contracts to be let under the  (a) Gypsies and Travellers and  (b) Refugees and Asylum Seekers elements of the Central Office of Information's Marketing Aimed at Culturally Diverse Audiences Framework; what contracts have been awarded under those elements of the framework; in respect of which public bodies they have been let; and what the monetary value of contracts let under the Framework Agreement is.

Angela Smith: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 18 January 2010:
	asking which public relations companies were awarded contracts arising from the COI Framework Agreement with the contract reference 2007/S 156-194886.
	A copy of the information requested from the framework is given below;
	a) Defra Horse ID Passports-Gypsies & Travellers £40,000 (Linstock Communications)
	b) Office of National Statistics-Census-Gypsies & Travellers £45,000 (Linstock Communications)
	FCO AVR-Refugees & Asylum Seekers £21,862 (Rich Visions)

Cinemas

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cinemas have  (a) opened and  (b) closed since 1997 according to Office of National Statistics' records of enterprise deaths and births.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many cinemas have (a) opened and (b) closed since 1997 according to the Office of National Statistics' records of enterprise deaths and births. I am replying in his absence. (312046)
	Figures provided are at the enterprise level. The enterprise is the smallest combination or legal units that is an organisational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. It carries out one or more activities at one or more locations, and may be a sole legal unit.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available for 2002 onwards from the ONS release on Business Demography at
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available on business births and deaths for the Motion Picture Projection industry in the UK. Local units which are part of an enterprise (e.g. individual cinemas which are part of a chain) are not available from Business Demography, and therefore are not included in the figures.
	
		
			  Motion Picture Projection 
			   Births  Deaths 
			 2002 25 15 
			 2003 25 25 
			 2004 30 25 
			 2005 15 25 
			 2006 15 25 
			 2007 20 25 
			 2008 20 30

Departmental Advertising

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Prime Minister's Office has spent on advertising in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Prime Minister's Office has not spent any money on advertising.

Employment: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were  (a) unemployed and  (b) employed in North Wales in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were (a) unemployed and (b) employed in North Wales in each of the last three years. I am replying in his absence. (311720)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	For the purpose of this question North Wales has been defined as the local authorities of Ynys Mon, Conwy, Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. Table 1 shows the number of people who were (a) unemployed and (b) employed in North Wales in the 12 months ending June 2009, the latest period for which data is available and the 12 months ending in the June of the previous two years.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of people unemployed and employed in North Wales( 1)  in each of the last three years 
			  Thousand 
			  12 months ending  Employed  Unemployed 
			 June 2007 310 14 
			 June 2008 316 15 
			 June 2009 *312 **18 
			 (1) North Wales is defined as the local authorities Ynys Mon, Conwy. Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness * 0 = CV<5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source: Annual Population Survey

Government Departments: ICT

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Heavy Hitter Programme Delivery Director Service has cost; which IT projects each consultant worked on; and what payments have been made to each consultant for Work Undertaken in Connection with the programme.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office has not deployed a heavy hitter service within the Department. Other than the senior appointments overseen by the Government's chief information officer, the decision as to the deployment of the service within individual departments is up to individual chief information officers or senior responsible owners of projects.

Government Departments: Internet

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government services are available exclusively via the internet.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office does not currently hold a list of all Government services available exclusively via the internet.
	However, all Government Departments have committed to producing channel strategies for service delivery by March 2010. These strategies will include plans for shifting each of their major public facing services to online channels.
	The Cabinet Office is also working with departments to explore how the exploitation of digital technologies in delivery can be accelerated as set out in the recent Smarter Government paper.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many  (a) documents and  (b) other types of information held in electronic format at each level of security classification the Iraq Inquiry has requested from her Department; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information held in electronic format by her Department of each security classification have been submitted to the Iraq Inquiry; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  whether any  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information in electronic format sought from her Department by the Iraq Inquiry have not been disclosed owing to the Government's obligations to foreign governments or international bodies; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  how many and what proportion of the  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information held in electronic format at each level of security classification requested by the Iraq Inquiry have been provided to it by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 840-41W, by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office my right hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela E. Smith).

Personation: Financial Services

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of cases of identity theft took place following a payment initially made by  (a) debit card,  (b) credit card,  (c) online transaction other than bank transfer,  (d) bank transfers, (e) cash payment and  (f) another form of payment in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of payments made in the UK that were made by  (a) debit card,  (b) credit card,  (c) online transaction other than bank transfer,  (d) bank transfer,  (e) cash payment and  (f) another form of payment resulted in identity theft in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
	No such data exist.

Post Offices

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many post office branches have  (a) opened and  (b) closed since 1997 according to the Office of National Statistics' records of enterprise deaths and births.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many post office branches have (a) opened and (b) closed since 1997 according to the Office of National Statistics' records of enterprise deaths and births. I am replying in his absence. (311710)
	Business Demography provides information at the enterprise level. The enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organisational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. It carries out one or more activities at one or more locations, and may be a sole legal unit.
	Information on individual post offices (local units at geographically identified sites) are not available from this data source, since post offices are local units belonging to an enterprise. Although in some instances a post office combined with a shop can be classified to retail, it is impossible to identify these cases from the data.

Private Life: Statistics

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what statistics the Office for National Statistics collates on relationship breakdown; and at what geographic level such data is maintained.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your request asking what statistics the Office for National Statistics collates on relationship breakdown; and at what geographic level such data is maintained. I am replying in his absence. (312049)
	Relationship breakdown may either occur through divorce or separation, where the latter can apply to either married or cohabiting partnerships. Although statistics are available for divorces in the UK, figures on separation are not. This is because nationally representative statistical information on separations would be difficult to collect routinely in any administrative or survey source.
	Divorce statistics are published annually by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) based upon information supplied to ONS by the courts in England and Wales. The fact that a divorce has taken place in a court in a particular region does not mean that either one or both parties are resident there. Therefore, divorce statistics have been historically presented at a national level only for England and Wales.
	Divorce statistics for Scotland are published by the General Register Office for Scotland, and divorce statistics for Northern Ireland are published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. A summary of divorce statistics for the constituent countries of the UK is available in the latest edition of Population Trends (Population Trends 138 - Winter 2009, Table 2.1: Vital statistics summary, pp.67-68), available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Pop-trends-winter09.pdf

Public Houses

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many public houses have  (a) opened and  (b) closed since 1997 according to Office of National Statistics' records of enterprise deaths and births.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many public houses have (a) opened and (b) closed since 1997 according to the Office of National Statistics' records of enterprise deaths and births. I am replying in his absence. (312047)
	Figures provided are at the enterprise level. The enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organisational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. It carries out one or more activities at one or more locations, and may be a sole legal unit.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available for 2002 onwards from the ONS release on Business Demography at www.statistics.gov.uk. The table below contains the latest statistics available on business births and deaths for public houses in the UK. Local units which are part of an enterprise (e.g. individual public houses which are part of a chain) are not available from Business Demography, and therefore are not included in the figures.
	
		
			  Public houses 
			   Births  Deaths 
			 2002 10,285 7,810 
			 2003 9,805 9,585 
			 2004 9,190 10,080 
			 2005 8,810 9,080 
			 2006 8,150 7,915 
			 2007 8,220 7,905 
			 2008 6,565 7,515

Public Sector: Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 867-8W, on the Central Office of Information: publications, what the purpose is of the publication How Public Sector Advertising Works; how many copies have been  (a) distributed and  (b) sold; and what income the Exchequer has received from sales.

Angela Smith: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 15 January 2010:
	As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on COI sales of the COI book, How Public Sector Advertising Works (311428).
	The purpose of the book is to provide an overview of how Public Service Advertising works.
	The book also explains what effectiveness means in terms of saving money, saving lives or changing behaviour.
	To date 90 per cent. of the copies produced have been sold or distributed.
	The project had a breakeven target and was not intended to generate an income above this from sales.

Sir Christopher Kelly

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what remunerated positions Sir Christopher Kelly holds apart from his chairmanship of the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and whether Sir Christopher is required to declare to her Department the amount of remuneration he receives from such positions.

Tessa Jowell: The chairman and members of the Committee on Standards in Public Life are required to register any private interest which might influence their judgment or which could be perceived to do so.
	The register published by the Committee provides details of all remunerated positions currently held by Sir Christopher Kelly.
	A copy is available in the Library of the House and can also be accessed at:
	http://www.public-standards.gov.uk/Register_of_Interests.html

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change: Sea

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent assessment is of the state of climate science research on the effect of climate change on changes in sea level; what projections he made of changes to sea level by 2100; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The prediction of sea level rise is at the forefront of scientific research. While prediction of the component from thermal expansion of the ocean is well understood, the contribution from polar ice sheets represents a major source of uncertainty, resulting in a wide range of projections of sea level rise.
	The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (2007) estimated that the contribution to globally averaged sea level rise by the end of the century from thermal expansion would be in the range 18 to 59 cm, with up to a further 10 to 20 cm coming from the melting of ice sheets, but that higher values could not be excluded. Since then the literature has suggested that values for the total globally averaged sea level rise are more likely to be in the range 60 to 100 cm, with some papers estimating values as high as 200 cm, although these are thought to be highly unlikely.
	For the UK, the most comprehensive assessment of future sea level rise is published in UKCP09, which can be found at:
	http://ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk/content/view/825/518/

Fuel Poverty

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how often his Department reviews its definition of fuel poverty.

David Kidney: There are no plans to review the definition of fuel poverty.

Fuel Poverty: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the number of households in Bexleyheath and Crayford in fuel poverty.

David Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were around 3,200 fuel poor households in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.

Temperature

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the average temperature in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Joan Ruddock: The Department obtains estimates of the average temperature in the UK from the National Climate Information Centre based at the Met Office, which makes these data along with regional values for months, seasons and years freely available from its website at:
	http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/datasets/index.html
	The UK annual average temperatures in the last decade were:
	
		
			   °C 
			 2000 9.09 
			 2001 8.84 
			 2002 9.47 
			 2003 9.50 
			 2004 9.47 
			 2005 9.45 
			 2006 9.73 
			 2007 9.59 
			 2008 9.05 
			 2009 9.16 
		
	
	The 2009 value is provisional and will be finalised once all data have been received and quality-controlled. The six years 2002-07 are the warmest six years on record since records began for the UK as a whole in 1914.

Winter Fuel Payments: Disabled

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to extend eligibility for the winter fuel payment to all families with children in receipt of the middle or higher rate of care disability living allowance or the higher rate of mobility disability living allowance.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	Winter fuel payments are made to people aged 60 or over. There are no plans to alter the eligibility criteria.
	Disability living allowance (DLA) is specifically designed to help meet the extra costs of disability, including heating.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2010,  Official Report, column 574W, on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, what steps he is taking to increase the transparency of the negotiations; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: UK officials have consistently argued for more transparency in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiations and in bilateral discussions. As a result of our calls, and those of like-minded countries, the negotiating parties agreed to release a summary of the key elements being discussed. This can be found on the Intellectual Property Office website along with further information that we are able to disclose under the existing terms of the agreement and is updated regularly.

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library the latest draft held by his Department of the  (a) civil enforcement,  (b) border measures,  (c) criminal enforcement and  (d) intellectual property rights enforcement section of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

David Lammy: holding answer 18 January 2010
	Although I am sympathetic to the view that ACTA negotiations should be more transparent and I have instructed my officials to press for more transparency, we are not in a position to place the drafts held by my Department in the Library.
	As is common practice in trade negotiations, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is taking place in confidence. Disclosure of any documents without the agreement of all our ACTA negotiating partners would damage the United Kingdom's international relations. This would harm our ability to protect, promote and secure an outcome in the UK's interest, and the premature release of documents that are not agreed and not fully developed may also have a negative effect on the Government's reputation.

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which Ministers are given access to UK position papers on negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

David Lammy: I am the Minister responsible-for Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). My officials regularly liaise with the officials from other Departments (FCO, HMRC, MOJ, BIS) who keep their relevant Ministers within their Departments informed when necessary.

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he next plans to meet  (a) Ministerial colleagues,  (b) officials from the Intellectual Property Office and  (c) others to discuss the negotiation of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

David Lammy: I have no plans to meet with my ministerial colleagues to discuss the negotiation of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in the near future but they have been kept informed of developments. I will continue to discuss ACTA with officials whenever there are significant developments. I have discussed ACTA with EU partners in the past and will continue to do so when the opportunity arises.

Business Council for Britain

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times the Business Council for Britain has met; when it last met; what its membership is; how many officials have attended each of its meetings; and how much it has spent on  (a) travel,  (b) hospitality and  (c) other expenses since June 2007.

Ian Lucas: The Business Council for Britain was established in June 2007 and has met formally nine times since then. The most recent meeting was on 2 December 2009. There are 16 members of the Business Council: Stephen Green (HSBC, Chair), Sir Richard Branson (Virgin), Damon Buffini (Permira), Cynthia Carroll (Anglo American), Tony Hayward (BP), Brent Hoberman (Mydeco), Sir Terry Leahy (Tesco), Ian Livingston (BT), Dick Olver (BAE Systems), Sir John Parker (National Grid), Sir John Rose (Rolls-Royce), Sir Stuart Rose (Marks & Spencer), Dame Marjorie Scardino (Pearson), Lord Sugar (Government Small Business Advisor), Paul Walsh (Diageo) and Andrew Witty (GlaxoSmithKline). Officials do not participate in the discussions at the Business Council meetings. The number of officials attending is always kept to a minimum, but varies. The Business Council has incurred a sum of £870 for hospitality, but no other costs for travel or other expenses.

Communication Service Providers

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effects on consumer choice of making provision for consumer access to third-party communication providers from all  (a) next generation and  (b) other public communications networks.

Stephen Timms: I have made no such assessment. However, we are working with Ofcom to ensure the greatest consumer choice for Next Generation Access and expect all networks built using public funds to conform to an open access model, enabling third parties to offer services.

Communication Service Providers

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that all  (a) next generation and  (b) other public communications networks offer consumers equal access to third party service providers.

Stephen Timms: We are working with Ofcom to ensure the greatest consumer choice for Next Generation Access and expect all networks built using public funds to conform to an open access model, enabling third parties to offer services.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department are working on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiations.

David Lammy: The Intellectual Property Office has two officials working on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement under the direction of the Director of International Policy and the Chief Executive Officer. These officials co-ordinate the UK position with the support of lawyers and policy officials from across Government.

Electric Vehicles: Motorcycles

Lembit �pik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the merits of providing support to producers of electric motorcycles and mopeds.

Sadiq Khan: have been asked to reply.
	Passenger cars are by some distance the biggest source of emissions from road transport, forming almost 60 per cent. of total UK domestic C02 transport emissions compared to less than 1 per cent. by motorcycles. As such, the focus of government support is on cars where it will have the biggest impact on greenhouse gas emissions from road transport. We recognise that electric motorcycles offer environmental benefits compared to conventional motorcycles and they are already zero rated for VED purposes and exempt from fuel duty. We anticipate that electric motorbikes will be able to access the re-charging infrastructure installed as part of the £30 million Plugged in Places framework.

Higher Education: Admissions

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of undergraduates studying  (a) part-time and  (b) full-time were from low participation neighbourhoods in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is provided in the table. Figures are provided for young (under 21) and mature (21 and over) part-time and full-time undergraduate entrants to higher education institutions in England, for the academic years 2006/07 and 2007/08. Figures for earlier academic years are not directly comparable, due to a change in the methodology used to calculate the proportion of students who are from low participation neighbourhoods.
	Information for the 2008/09 academic year will be available from HESA in April.
	
		
			  Proportion of undergraduate entrants from low participation neighbourhoods, English higher education institutions, academic years 2006/07 and 2007/08 
			  Percentage 
			   Part-time  Full-time 
			  Academic year  Young  Mature( 1)  Young  Mature( 1) 
			 2006/07 13.0 6.7 10.1 12.0 
			 2007/08 13.0 6.8 10.3 11.5 
			 (1) The participation rate for mature entrants excludes students who have a previous HE qualification.  Note: Percentages have been rounded to one decimal place.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency Performance Indicators.

Higher Education: Admissions

Richard Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many school and sixth form college leavers went on to universities on average in each year in the period  (a) 1981 to 1990,  (b) 1991 to 2000 and  (c) 2001 to 2009.

David Lammy: The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in the table. This shows the number of 18-year-old undergraduate entrants, some of whom may not have attended schools or sixth form colleges. Figures are not available prior to 1994/95, and figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011.
	
		
			  UK domiciled 18-year-old undergraduate entrants UK higher education institutions1 academic years 1994/95 to 2008/09 
			  Academic year  18-year-old entrants 
			 1994/95 120,105 
			 1995/96 122,385 
			 1996/97 129,115 
			 1997/98 141,980 
			 1998/99 142,835 
			 1999/2000 140,645 
			 2000/01 140,120 
			 2001/02 147,780 
			 2002/03 152,050 
			 2003/04 154,400 
			 2004/05 156,170 
			 2005/06 171,310 
			 2006/07 169,055 
			 2007/08 169,550 
			 2008/09 178,975 
			 (1) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series.  Note: Figures are based on a snapshot as at 1 December and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: Finance

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much grant funding has been provided to higher education institutions by the  (a) Arts and Humanities Research Council,  (b) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council,  (c) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council,  (d) Economic and Social Research Council,  (e) Medical Research Council,  (f) Natural Environment Research Council,  (g) Science and Technology Facilities Council and  (h) Higher Education Funding Council for England in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The following table provides the details of the grant funding from the above bodies to higher education institutions (HEIs) for the five financial years from 2004-05 to 2008-09.
	Research Council academic grants to HEIs exclude studentships and doctoral training grants. Higher Education Funding Council for England total grant covers recurrent grant, non-recurrent grant, and other ring fenced allocations.
	
		
			  £ 000 
			  Funding Body  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Arts and Humanities Research Council 29,008 31,373 44,706 56,786 60,475 
			 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 129,812 136,921 170,730 176,892 199,756 
			 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 262,513 311,304 367,314 476,485 522,855 
			 Economic and Social Research Council 62,982 71,306 98,078 109,957 112,445 
			 Medical Research Council 112,855 106,258 164,272 197,673 240,960 
			 Natural Environment Research Council 42,029 40,185 46,442 70,069 74,098 
			 Science and Technology Facilities Council 57,305 82,276 81,951 102,499 104,725 
			 Higher Education Funding Council for England 6,090,210 6,745,006 6,944,354 7,342,935 7,515,183

Higher Education: Lewes

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from Lewes constituency attended university courses in each year since 1996-97.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1)  from Lewes constituency( 2) : UK Higher Education Institutions( 3)  academic years 1996/97 to 2007/08 
			  Academic year  Enrolments 
			 1996/97 2,000 
			 1997/98 1,935 
			 1998/99 2,070 
			 1999/2000 2,065 
			 2000/01 2,145 
			 2001/02 2,135 
			 2002/03 2,175 
			 2003/04 2,255 
			 2004/05 2,280 
			 2005/06 2,310 
			 2006/07 2,270 
			 2007/08 2,235 
			 (1) Covers undergraduate and postgraduate students of all ages enrolled on full-time and part-time courses. (2) The table does not include enrolments where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (3) Excludes the Open university due to inconsistencies in their coding of students across the time series.  Note: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department and its predecessors have allocated to higher education in Preston in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: We do not hold this information in the form requested. However, the Higher Education Funding Council for England has allocated the following amounts to the University of Central Lancashire:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997/98 33.4 
			 1998/99 37.9 
			 1999/2000 42.7 
			 2000/01 44.6 
			 2001/02 48.5 
			 2002/03 55.9 
			 2003/04 60.3 
			 2004/05 70.5 
			 2005/06 80.0 
			 2006/07 77.0 
			 2007/08 75.9 
			 2008/09 85.1 
			 2009/10 86.9 
			  Note: These figures cover HEFCE grant allocations only and do not include other sources of public funding.

Higher Education: Research

Brian Iddon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with the Higher Education Funding Council for England on  (a) the Research Excellence Framework and  (b) other proposed changes to arrangements for research funding.

David Lammy: There is regular contact between officials in the Department and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
	My Noble Friend the Secretary of State wrote to Tim Melville-Ross, chairman of HEFCE, on 22 December. He asked HEFCE to continue to develop proposals for the Research Excellence Framework, following the consultation which ended on 16 December and for their views on how along side our commitment to supporting research excellence, to achieve the presumption made clear in Higher Ambitions in favour of more, rather than less, research concentration, especially in the high cost, scientific disciplines.

Higher Education: Research

Brian Iddon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what responses he has received from higher education institutions on his Department's proposed Research Excellence Framework.

David Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has been consulting on their proposals for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) on behalf of the UK's funding bodies. HEFCE have received over 500 responses from a wide range of parties including many from Higher Education Institutions. The consultation closed on 16 December and I look forward to receiving HEFCE's analysis of the responses.

Learning and Skills Council for England: Pay

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 607-8W, on Learning and Skills Council for England: pay, what proportion of Learning and Skills Council staff received a bonus in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009; and how many such staff were responsible for overseeing (i) capital funding, (ii) Train to Gain and (iii) Adult Learner Responsive funding.

Kevin Brennan: Decisions about the payment of performance bonuses to staff are made by the Learning and Skills Council. Geoff Russell, the Council's acting chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Postgraduate Education

William Cash: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the number of universities which should be entitled to offer research courses leading to doctoral qualifications; and what assessment he has made of the effects of this policy on universities in the West Midlands.

David Lammy: Any institution providing higher education which already has powers to award taught degrees is eligible to apply for powers to award research degrees.
	This policy does not seek to create a specific number of HEIs with higher/research degree awarding powers, and each application is considered on its merits against detailed criteria which are available on the website of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	There has been no assessment of this policy on institutions in the West Midlands.

Vocational Training: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which 10 parliamentary constituencies have received the most funding from his Department in respect of vocational training in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the funding of post 16 further education (FE) and skills training delivered through FE colleges and training organisations in England. As set out my Department's Skills Investment Strategy (November, 2009) funding for adult training places will increase by 3 per cent. to £3.5 billion in 2010-11.
	Data on funding for training are not available on a parliamentary constituency basis, as the parliamentary constituency is not an administrative area. However, the LSC publishes funding allocations to FE colleges and training organisations organised by local authority. Full details are available on the LSC website under the following link:
	http://www.lsc.gov.uk/publications/latestdocuments/Detail.htm?id=38bb96be-953c-4c0c-998e-3162a0c844ae
	The following table sets out the local authorities with the greatest adult funding allocations for 2008/09 academic year issued to FE colleges and training institutions based in that area. The actual amount invested will depend on demand from employers and learners.
	
		
			  Adult (aged 19 or over) funding allocations to FE colleges and training organisations summarised by local authority 
			  Local authority( 1)  Total LSC allocation( 2)  (£ million) 
			 Birmingham 100.7 
			 Westminster 58.6 
			 Norfolk 56.8 
			 Surrey 54.0 
			 Cheshire 52.9 
			 Sheffield 52.3 
			 Lancashire 51.2 
			 Manchester 50.2 
			 Hampshire 48.2 
			 Leeds 47.4 
			 (1) The local authority in which the head office of the FE college or training organisation is based; some institutions will provide training across LA boundaries. (2) Includes allocations for Adult Safeguarded Learning, Adult Learner Responsive and Employer Responsive funding.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Child Care Vouchers

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parents have received childcare vouchers  (a) at the latest date for which information is available and  (b) in each year since their introduction.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	Published research, commissioned by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in 2006, by the National Centre for Social Research estimated that there were 174,000 users of child care vouchers available under Employer Supported Childcare (ESC) in late 2005. The full title of the NatCen report of 2006 is Monitoring of the Reform of the Income Tax and National Insurance Rules for Employer Supported Childcare, and is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/report23-final.pdf
	Information by year is not available, as HMRC does not collect data on the use of ESC.

Child Trust Fund

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the level of take-up of child trust funds was in households with children classified as economically deprived in the latest period for which figures are available; what research has been undertaken by his Department into levels of awareness of parents in such households of their entitlements under the Child Trust Fund programme; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the fund.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
	All children born since 1 September 2002 that live in the UK and are not subject to immigration controls are eligible for a Child Trust Fund. If the child's parents or guardians do not open an account within a year HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will open one for them, ensuring that all eligible children get a Child Trust Fund.
	The latest information published on Child Trust Fund parental opening rates, awareness levels and administration can be viewed on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/stats.htm
	Included are data regarding the opening rates of accounts in families in receipt of the maximum child tax credit. The Government do not hold data on awareness levels broken down by socio-economic classification.

GCSE

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of students of  (a) white,  (b) mixed race,  (c) Asian,  (d) Black and  (e) Chinese ethnicity gained (i) five GCSEs including English and mathematic at grades A* to C, (ii) five GCSEs at grades A* to G and (iii) at least one key stage 4 pass in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Information on pupil attainment linked to their characteristics was not recorded before 2002, therefore the requested information for 1997 to 2001 is not available. All the requested information has been published for 2006 to 2009, with some elements published for earlier years.
	The requested information for the years 2006 to 2009 is published on the departmental website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000900/SFR34_2009FinalUpdated.xls
	The available information for 2005 is published on the departmental website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000640/index.shtml
	The available information for 2004 is published on the departmental website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000564/index.shtml
	The available information for the years 2002 and 2003 is published on the departmental website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000448/index.shtml
	Measure (i), five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C, is available for 2005-09.
	Measure (ii), five GCSEs at grades A* to G, is available for 2002, 2003 and 2006 to 2009.
	Measure (iii), at least one key stage 4 pass, is available for 2004-09.
	In addition, the number of pupils achieving no GCSE passes is available for 2002 and 2003.

Primary Education: Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families from which line of Table 8.4 in his Department's 2009 annual report the £300 million funding for new primary school places announced on 30 November 2009 has been taken.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 3 December 2009
	This funding will be provided from capital for investment in school buildings, which will include accumulated end year flexibility which is not reflected in Table 8.4. It is resource originally set aside in the event that school projects found it problematic to secure PFI funding. Although the start of 2009 was a challenging time for the PFI market, BSF schemes have not had to use these additional resources. Partnerships for Schools has closed 17 PFI deals since the beginning of this financial year so we have been able to free up the resource set aside and use it for other purposes.

Pupil Exclusions: Disadvantaged

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010,  Official Report, column 728W, on pupils exclusions: disadvantaged, what the equivalent figures were for  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2003.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 19 January 2010
	Information is not available in the form requested.
	Data on permanent and fixed period exclusions linked to free school meal eligibility are only available for secondary schools from 2005-06 onwards. This was extended to primary and special schools in 2006-07.

Pupils: Attendance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that attendance records of schools which open during extreme weather conditions are not compared unfavourably with schools which close in such conditions and are notionally recorded as having 100 per cent. attendance.

Vernon Coaker: Every lesson counts and it is right that schools should stay open during poor weather conditions where it is safe to do so. Those schools that remained open during the recent spell of poor weather should be commended for doing so.
	It is for this reason that we are asking local authorities to ensure that schools are not penalised for remaining open during the recent snow and to make it clear that we expect authorities to take any increased absences due to the poor weather into consideration when looking at school absence figures-where the head teacher is able to provide suitable evidence.
	The Pupil Registration Regulations 2006 are clear that where a school is open and pupils do not attend, their non-attendance has to be recorded whether it is due to the poor weather or for any other reason (e.g. illness, or being on holiday). While this will mean that those schools will have a higher absence rate than if they had been forced to close, head teachers should not take decisions about closing schools based on concerns about absence records. Their primary concern in such cases should be for the welfare of their pupils and staff.
	The Department are currently looking at ways that absences due to exceptional circumstances, such as the recent poor weather conditions, can be reported and monitored within the school absence data. However, we will not be able to do this for the recent snow.

School Leaving

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of Key Stage 4 students went on to  (a) education,  (b) employment and  (c) training in each year since 1997; and how many and what proportion were not in employment, education or training in the year after leaving school in each such year.

Iain Wright: Information on destinations of Key Stage 4 (KS4) students does not exist in the form requested. The Department publishes an annual Statistical First Release Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 year olds in England which as well as containing estimates of participation rates, includes the Department's best estimate of the number and proportion of young people not in education, employment or training. The participation estimates are presented by academic age. Estimates for 16-year-olds are a very close proxy for the destinations of KS4 students, but will include a small number of 16-year-olds who have not yet completed KS4 due to their repeating a year of learning. The estimates will also include those young people who entered the country, either from elsewhere in the UK or abroad, after KS4. The figures can be found on the DCSF website here under additional information:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000849/index.shtml
	It is important to note that the categories education, training and employment are not mutually exclusive. For instance, many young people in full time education, and the majority of those in training, are also employed.

Schools: Leeds

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to ensure that schools in Leeds that have opened during recent extreme weather conditions will not be penalised for student non-attendance during that period.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 18 January 2010
	Every lesson counts and it is right that schools should stay open during poor weather conditions where it is safe to do so. Those schools that remained open during the recent spell of poor weather should be commended for doing so.
	It is for this reason that we are asking local authorities to ensure that schools are not penalised for remaining open during the recent snow and to make it clear that we expect authorities to take any increased absences due to the poor weather into consideration when looking at school absence figures-where the head teacher is able to provide suitable evidence.
	The Pupil Registration Regulations 2006 are clear that where a school is open and pupils do not attend, their non-attendance has to be recorded whether it is due to the poor weather or for any other reason (e.g. illness, or being on holiday). While this will mean that those schools will have a higher absence rate than if they had been forced to close, head teachers should not take decisions about closing schools based on concerns about absence records. Their primary concern in such cases should be for the welfare of their pupils and staff.
	The Department are currently looking at ways that absences due to exceptional circumstances, such as the recent poor weather conditions, can be reported and monitored within the school absence data. However, we will not be able to do this for the recent snow.

Schools: Snow and Ice

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it is his policy that where a school has remained open during the recent inclement weather those days should not be included in statistics on absenteeism; if he will advise education authorities accordingly; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 14 January 2010
	Every lesson counts and it is right that schools should stay open during poor weather conditions where it is safe to do so. Those schools that remained open during the recent spell of poor weather should be commended for doing so.
	It is for this reason that we are asking local authorities to ensure that schools are not penalised for remaining open during the recent snow and to make it clear that we expect authorities to take any increased absences due to the poor weather into consideration when looking at school absence figures-where the head teacher is able to provide suitable evidence.
	The Pupil Registration Regulations 2006 are clear that where a school is open and pupils do not attend, their non-attendance has to be recorded whether it is due to the poor weather or for any other reason (e.g. illness, or being on holiday). While this will mean that those schools will have a higher absence rate than if they had been forced to close, head teachers should not take decisions about closing schools based on concerns about absence records. Their primary concern in such cases should be for the welfare of their pupils and staff.
	The Department are currently looking at ways that absences due to exceptional circumstances, such as the recent poor weather conditions, can be reported and monitored within the school absence data. However, we will not be able to do this for the recent snow.

Young People: Unemployment

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what methodology his Department used to determine the number of people not in education, employment or training expected to start courses in January as part of the January Guarantee.

Iain Wright: holding answer 6 January 2010
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 7 January 2010,  Official Report, column 589W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

People Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial assistance his Department has provided to overseas non-governmental organisations to reduce numbers of people already trafficked to and then deported from the UK from being re-trafficked to the UK.

Michael Foster: DFID does not provide assistance to overseas non-governmental organisations to prevent people from being re-trafficked to the UK. However, we do support projects which are tackling human trafficking, forced labour and child labour.

Sri Lanka

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to development programmes in Sri Lanka since December 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: Since the financial year 2004-05 to 2008-09, DFID has provided £28.07 million of bilateral assistance to Sri Lanka. During the same period, DFID has also provided £11.54 million of humanitarian assistance. I refer my hon. Friend to my statement of 24 November 2009 for an assessment of the current humanitarian situation.

Haiti

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to meet relevant non-governmental organisations to discuss humanitarian aid to Haiti.

Douglas Alexander: I held a first meeting with NGOs on the morning of 14 January to discuss Haiti.
	My right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Mike Foster held a second meeting with NGOs yesterday 19 January.
	The scenes of devastation in Haiti are almost unimaginable. The need for relief is desperate. This is the time for the international community to come together and support the people of Haiti in their hour of need.

EU: Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's aid delivered through the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Analysis from the OECD's Donor Assistance Committee, Oxfam, the House of Lords and our own staff indicate that the effectiveness of Commission aid has improved considerably.

St. Helena: Airport

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on proposals for an airport for St. Helena.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) held a public consultation on options for access to St. Helena from 9 April-31 July 2009. The Consultation Report contains an annex listing all representations made on the issue of an airport for St. Helena. This report is available in the House of Commons Library and on the DFID website;
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/where-we-work/overseas-territories/st-helena/

Overseas Development Assistance

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps he has taken to increase transparency in respect of his Department's overseas development assistance.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to increasing the transparency of its aid programme. We have already implemented our White Paper commitment to publish a database of DFID projects on our website. We continue to lead the International Aid Transparency Initiative to enhance the transparency of all global donor aid programmes.

Iraq: Overseas Aid

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to the Iraqi government to increase the water flow into the Hawizeh marshes.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) is not providing any assistance directly to the Iraqi Government to increase the water flow into the Hawizeh marshes. However, the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, to which the UK has contributed £70 million, has supported an $11 million UN Environment Programme project to support environmental management of the Iraqi Marshlands.